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FRED  A. 

OBER. 


JOHN    NORTH    IN    MEXICO 


A    STORY    OF 


THE    SILVER    CITY 


BY 

FRED    A    OBER. 

Author  of  "  Young  Folks  History  of  Mexico,"  Camps  in  The  Caribbeers,"  etc. 


BOSTON 
D    LOTHROP     COMPANY 

WASHINGTON  STREET  OPPOSITE  BROMFIELD 


COPYRIGHT,  1892, 

BY 
D.  LOTHROP  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS. 


PART   I. 

JOHN    NORTH    IN   MEXICO. 

(A  Story  of  the  Silver  City?) 

PART    II. 

MONTEZUMA'S   GOLD  MINES. 


2072325 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


CHAPTER  I.  — WRECKED  ON  A  CORAL  REEF. 


CITY  with  walls  shin- 
ing like  silver,  with 
golden  minarets 
and  battlements  of 
crystal,  inhabited 
by  a  people  with  the 
manner  and  dress 
of  their  ancestors  of 
a  thousand  years 
ago,  and,  unitedly, 

guarding  a  subterranean  treasure-chamber  holding 
more  gold  than  the  Spaniards  took  from  the  Incas 
of  Peru ! 

This  was  the  luring  phantom  that  had  taken  posses- 
sion of  John  North,  a  New  England  boy  nineteen 
years  old,  coast  born  and  farm  bred. 

It  all  came  about  from  his  reading  that  old  book. 
No  one  knew  how  or  when  it  came  into  the  North 
farm  garret;  but  everybody  in  the  village  of  Selim 
knew  that  it  was  there,  and  that  it  had  charmed  and 
infatuated  here  a  young  man  and  there  an  old  one 
for  at  least  three  generations.  John  North,  when  he 
came  to  reading  days,  found  it  there  in  company  with 
the  Voyages  of  Captain  Cook,  and  kindred  books. 
He  had  read  it  through  at  least  once  a  year  ever  since 
he  could  remember ;  and  he  was  far  more  familiar 


with  the  map  of  Yucatan  than  with  any  other  in  the 
atlas. 

It  is  more  than  ordinary  attention  that  he  is  giving 
to  the  relation  of  the  Spanish  adventurer  this  October 
afternoon.  By  his  side,  as  usual,  is  spread  a  map. 
He  is  tracing  upon  it  (  for  the  hundredth  time  )  here 
a  line  of  march,  there  the  locality  of  some  sharp  skir- 
mish, yonder  the  probable  scene  of  death  and  defeat. 
Slowly  and  thoughtfully  he  turns  page  after  page, 
collating,  and  constantly  recurring  to  the  map,  pick- 
ing up  different  points  like  an  Indian  on  the  trail  of 
a  foe.  At  last  he  seems  to  have  found  the  object  of 
his  search ;  his  finger  circles  around  the  figure  of  a 
lake  in  the  centre  of  a  region  of  forest,  gradually 
approaches  it,  and  finally  is  brought  down  with  a 
triumphant  thump. 

"  That's  it !  the  very  place  !  Hurrah !  I  surely  have 
found  it  this  time!  " 

"  What  have  you  found,  my  boy  ?  "  said  a  soft  voice 
behind  him ;  turning  around,  he  saw  his  mother 
standing  in  the  doorway. 

"  Found !  Why,  that  mysterious  city  we  boys  have 
always  wondered  about  so  much  in  reading  this  old 
book.  Look,  mother!  here  it  is,  here  it  must  be, 
right  in  the  midst  of  this  great  forest!  As  true  as 
you  live,  mother,  here's  the  spot  where  Cortes  hung 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


the  Aztec  emperor;  here  where  the  army  nearly  all 
perished  in  crossing  the  river;  here  is  the  lake  with 
its  lovely  island  where  the  Indians  made  an  image  of 
a  horse  of  the  Spaniards  and  worshipped  it  as  a  god; 
and  here,  right  down  in  this  big  wilderness,  must  be 
that  city  of  temples  and  palaces  no  white  man  has 
ever  seen,  but  which  I  am  determined  to  discover  !  " 

Despite  his  bold  words,  he  half  caught  his  breath, 
and  but  glanced  at  his  mother  as  he  made  this 
announcement. 

Mrs.  North  reached  out  and  took  the  book.  She 
held  it  close,  looking  earnestly  at  her  son.  "  This 
wicked  old  book  /"  she  exclaimed  at  last,  laying  it  down. 
"  Its  spell  must  be  on  me  too,  or  I  should  have 
burned  it  years  and  years  ago,  before  my  boys  could 
read..  John,  listen  to  me.  I  have  never  told  you, 
but  this  very  book  laid  its  spell  upon  your  father 
before  you  were  born  ;  he  was  always  talking  of  that 
'mysterious  city.'  John,  they  believe  his  ship  was 
wrecked,  or  burned,  but  I  never  did.  What  /firmly 
believe  is  that  your  father  secretly  sailed  for  those 
dangerous  regions  of  which  no  man  knew  anything 
for  certain,  and  there  lost  his  life.  I  have  never 
spoken  of  this,  but,  John,  you  surely  are  old  enough 
now  to  hear  it,  and  to  be  warned  by  it  too." 

John  seemed  to  consider  his  mother's  earnest 
words  in  a  sort  of  astonished  silence. 

"Mother,"  he  said  at  last,  "if  /  really  believed 
this  —  yes,  if  even  you  really  believe  it,  there  is 
all  the  more  reason  for  my  carrying  out  my  plan. 
For  mother,  you  may  as  well  know  it  now  as  at  any 
time,  and  get  used  to  it " —  and  the  smile  was  as  ten- 
der as  bright  which  flashed  all  over  his  face  —  "I 
really  have  resolved  to  go." 

"  My  boy,  when  you  are  making  such  wild  plans,  do 
you  ever  consider  that  you  are  only  nineteen  ?  Such 
a  step  at  such  a  time  of  life  may  prove  your  ruin. 
You  will  return,  if  you  return  at  all  " — 

"  Older  men  than  I  have  been  in  search  of  this 
city,"  interrupted  John. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  his  mother,  "  but  have  never 
returned." 

"  That  was  because  they  were  not  well-informed. 
They  had  not  studied  the  matter  in  detail  as  I  have. 
If  only  I  had  the  two  missing  leaves  of  this  book  ! 
Mother,  I  feel  sure  that  from  what  goes  before  and 
comes  after,  that  those  leaves  would  locate  the  city 
for  me  to  a  dot ;  and  now,  mother,  look  at  this  matter 
with  me  reasonably,  /am  sure  that  I  never  will  be 
fit  to  undertake  anything  else  until  I  have  disposed 


of  this  matter.  I  am  perfectly  sure  of  success.  I 
am  not  a  dreaming  boy,  mother.  I  cannot  only 
make  plans,  but  I  can  manage  them  step  by  step. 
What  if  I  tell  you  that  I  have  found  a  man,  a  cool- 
headed,  scientific  man,  too,  who  has  such  faith  in  me 
that  he  is  quite  willing  to  advance  me  money  on  cer- 
tain work  that  I  am  to  do  for  him ;  if  I  do  that  I  can 
start  at  once.  Shall  I  read  you  this  letter  ?  " 

Mrs.  North  drew  a  long  breath.  John  looked 
pained,  too,  as  he  gazed  down  at  his  delicate  little 
mother,  and  noted  how  she  turned  her  pale  face 
away  from  his  glance. 

"Come  down  into  the  sitting-room,"  she  said.  "  I 
should  like  to  call  in  uncle  David  to  hear  this  letter 
read." 

Left  sprawling  upon  the  floor  where  it  had  been 
dropped,  lay  the  wizard  book,  the  cause  of  such 
an  upheaval  in  the  North  household.  It  was  bound 
in  parchment,  and  bore  upon  its  back,  printed  in 
great  gilt  letters :  "  THE  TRUE  HISTORY  OF  THE 
CONQUEST  OF  MEXICO  ;  by  One  of  the  Conquerors,''1 
An  innocent  title  enough ;  but  lying  behind  it  was 
a  narrative  of  strange  incidents  and  deeds  of  valor 
and  records  of  great  guarded  treasures,  so  vividly 


THE  OLD  BOOK  IN  THE  ATTIC 


written    that   its    influence    upon   its    readers,  boys 
especially,  was  wonderful,  bewitching. 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


THE    OLD   NORTH    FARM. 


It  lay  now  in  the  dusty  sunshine,  glaring  up  at  the 
rafters  with  its  glittering  eyes. 

"  I  will  be  picked  up  again  soon  enough  —  never 
inind,"  it  seemed  to  say.  "  I  am  not  at  all  disturbed. 
I  am  perfectly  sure  of  my  prey." 

At  first  glance  it  would  seem  that  a  more  unlikely 

place  for  a  ro- 
mance could 
not  be  found 
on  the  whole 
New  England 
coast  than 
this  old  North 
farm  with  its 
gray  moss- 
flecked  house, 
settled  down  in  an  orchard  of  apple-trees ;  yet  from 
beneath  the  gable  roofs  of  just  such  weather-beaten 
dwellings  have  come  forth  the  world's  hardiest  ad- 
venturers; for  to  boys  there,  of  all  places  in  the 
world,  comes  the  leisure  of  long  solitary  winter  even- 
ings to  read  books  and  dream  dreams ;  and  was 
there  ever  a  dream  so  likely  to  set  on  fire  a  boy's 
brain  as  this  one  of  the  possible  discovery  of  a 
grand,  beautiful  treasure  city  deep  buried  in  a  trop- 
ical forest  of  Central  America  ? 

Some  ten  years  before  this  momentous  October 
day,  the  father  of  John  North,  a  brave  young  sea- 
captain,  had  sailed  away  to  the  South,  leaving  his 
family  on  the  small  coast  farm.  After  three  years  of 
waiting,  Mrs.  North  acquiesced  in  the  neighborhood 
belief  that  his  ship  and  all  hands  had  gone  down, 
although  she  refused  to  "put  on  black." 

As  soon  as  her  two  boys  were  half-grown,  they  had 
been  taken  from  school  and  set  at  work.  In  summer 
they  worked  on  the  farm,  and  made  an  occasional 
fishing-trip  down  the  bay ;  and  in  winter  they  hunted 
and  trapped.  They  were  now  grown  into  strong  and 
sturdy  boys.  John  was  two  years  the  senior  of  Ben, 
now  seventeen,  and  though  slender,  was  of  good 
height,  and  in  perfect  health,  agile,  and  quick  as  a 
young  panther,  and  bound  to  accomplish  whatever  he 
undertook.  Though  taken  so  early  from  school,  he 
had  clung  to  his  books,  and,  during  the  long  winter 
evenings,  he  had  gone,  more  or  less  meditatively,  over 
a  wide  range  of  reading. 

From  a  book,  found  also  in  the  garret,  he  had 
learned  the  art  of  preserving  birds,  and  during  odd 
hours  he  had  collected  and  stuffed  all  the  most 
interesting  birds  of  the  coast.  One  study  leads  to 


another,  and  in  order  to  learn  the  names  of  the  birds 
he  shot,  he  sought  books  on  natural  history  and 
travel.  Thus  his  mind  developed  in  several  extraor- 
dinary directions,  until  he  felt  that  the  quiet  little 
world  in  which  he  had  lived  so  long  was  but  a 
chimney-corner;  that  there  was  a  beautiful,  wonder- 
ful unknown  world  outside  •,  and  he  grew  restless  to 
go,  and  ripe  for  the  bursting  forth  of  some  romantic 
plan  like  this  search  for  the  Silver  City 

The  past  summer  had  been  an  eventful  one.  He 
had  met  on  one  of  his  hunting  trips,  an  ornithologist 
who,  like  himself,  was  in  pursuit  of  specimens.  He 
proved  to  be  a  famous  naturalist  whom  John  knew 
well  by  reputation;  and  he  in  his  turn  became  inter- 
ested in  the  young  enthusiast  of  the  New  England 
woods,  and  saw  at  once  his  value  in  certain  important 
plans  of  his  own. 

The  letter  which  John  carried  down  to  read  in  the 
sitting-room  was  from  him.  Even  "Uncle  David," 
the  shrewd  neighbor  who  generally  assisted  in  their 
family  councils,  could  not  deny  that  it  was  straight  to 
the  point,  and  all  that  an  adventurous  boy  could  ask : 

WASHINGTON,  October  73,  /8 . 

MY  DEAR  JOHN  :  —  In  regard  to  the  matter  on  which  we  have 
corresponded,  I  am  now  ready  to  say  that  I  place  three  hundred 
dollars  at  your  disposal,  inclosing  you  a  check  for  the  same. 
With  this  money  I  wish  you  to  do  all  that  is  possible  towards 
securing  the  institution  with  which  I  am  connected  a  collection 
of  the  birds  of  Yucatan.  You  will,  I  hope,  do  your  utmost  to 
procure  a  complete  representation  of  its  fauna  — 

"  Arn't  those  summat  dangerous  animals  ?  "  inter- 
rupted uncle  David.  "  And  you  a-knowin'  little  of 
their  habits,  bein'  furren  as  it  were." 

"Uncle  David,  fauna  isn't  an  animal,  it's  only  a 
word  meaning  the  animal  life  of  a  country  —  all  the 
animals." 

"  Wuss  yit,  if  it  means  the  hull  on  'em,"  said  uncle 
David,  with  a  decisive  shake  of  the  head. 

John  smiled  reassuringly  and  continued  : 

"The  professor  goes  on  to  say  that  he  wants  two  of 
each  kind  of  the  birds  of  Yucatan,  and  will  give  me  a 
dollar  apiece  for  theii  skins.  So  you  see  this  three 
hundred  dollars  is  only  part  payment  in  advance. 
Now,  what  do  you  think  of  it?  Any  young  fellow 
ever  had  a  better  chance  ? " 

A  long  silence  followed.  It  was  broken  at  last  by 
uncle  David.  "  Well,  John,  you  know  what  /  think 
pretty  well.  You  know  I  think  New  England  farms 
need  New  England  boys,  an'  '11  pay  'em  too,  if  they'll 
only  stick  by.  All  the  same,  no  discontented  young 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


feller's  going  to  plow  deep,  or  take  much  int'rest  in 
iinportin'  stock.  You're  teched,  an'  you'll  go,  prob'ly. 
So  we  might  as  well  say  go,  an'  good  luck  go  with 
ye.  I  feel  better  about  it  that  you're  goin'  under  the 
protection  of  an  insthoot>as  it  were,  an'  for  a  def'nit 
object ;  so  much  apiece  for  a  skin,  as  it  were,  an'  not  a 
huntin'  as  you've -sometimes  talked,  for  that  city  of 
moonshine,  with  silver  walls." 

John  smiled.  "  That  is  the  funniest  part  of  it," 
he  said;  "for,  uncle  David,  if  you'll  believe  it,  this 
region  the  professor  has  pitched  upon  to  have  me 
explore  is  the  very  one  containing  that  mysterious 
city.  Come,  now,  isn't  that  a  clear  indication  of 
Providence  ? " 

Uncle  David's  brow  lowered,  and  his  mouth 
twitched  as  it  always  did  when  he  was  much  disturbed 
by  something  he  could  not  change,  but  he  made  no 
reply. 

"  Let  me  make  one  more  appeal,"  said  his  mother ;  "  I 
want  to  make  you  this  offer.  Here  is  the  farm,  it  has 
thirty  acres  of  good  land,  and  you  and  Ben  shall  have 
it  to  yourselves ;  all  you  can  make  upon  it  from  this 
day,  this  season's  crops  and  all,  if  you  will  stay  and 
work  it  faithfully  for  five  years.  I'll  deed  it  to  you 
to-morrow  on  these  conditions." 

Ben  broke  in  eagerly':  "And  /have  something 
to  say,  John  :  if  you'll  do  as  mother  proposes — you 
shall  have  my  share  too;  the  whole  farm  shall  be 
yours  —  I'll  be  content  to  simply  be  your  hired  man, 
if  you'll  only  stay  at  home,  John." 

John  shook  his  head,  though  his  eyes  filled  with 
warm  tears. 

"  Then,"  continued  his  brother,  the  glow  dying 
away  on  his  honest  face,  "  I  will  stay  and  work 
mother's  farm  alone.  You  save  all  you  can,  we'll  do 
the  same ;  return  to  us  in  a  twelvemonth  and  let  us 
compare  notes.  I  will  pu-t  the  farm  against  the  sea 
and  the  Silver  City." 

"  All  right,  old  fellow,"  said  John  cheerily,  spring- 
ing up.  "  None  of  you  believe  in  me,  of  course,  but 
when  I  come  home  with  money  enough  to  pay  the 
village  debt  and  buy  out  uncle  David  beside,  you'll 
admit  that  I  dreamed  dreams  to  some  purpose." 

It  was  difficult  to  find  a  vessel  going  to  that  part 
of  the  world  John  wished  to  reach,  especially  one  that 
would  either  take  out  a  passenger  for  a  small  sum,  or 
let  one  work  his  passage,  as  he  proposed  doing. 
This  country  of  Yucatan  was  a  long  way  off,  especially 
to  John's  mother  and  Ben.  Every  day  now  they 
looked  at  it  on  an  atlas  ;  it  lav  south  and  west  of 


Cuba,  projecting  upward  from  Central  America.  At 
that  time  but  few  vessels  sailed  to  it  direct ;  the  only 
chance  seemed  to  secure  a  passage  to  Cuba  and 
there  await  some  coasting  vessel. 

But  good  luck  still  seemed  to  come  to  John 
It  was  not  a  week  before  there  might  have  been 
seen  a  schooner  in  Selim  harbor  with  sails  loose 
hung  to  the  breeze,  toward  which  uncle  David's 
dory  was  being  rowed,  two  sturdy  young  men  at  the 
oars.  Half  an  hour  later,  the  sails  were  drawn  aft, 
the  schooner  was  trimmed  to  the  wind,  and  the  little 
dory  left  behind,  its  occupants  gazing  seaward  tear 
fully,  the  one  they  had  left  on  board  looking  land- 
ward with  straining  eyes. 

The  spires  of  the  town,  the  rocky  headlands,  the 
smooth  beaches,  gradually  faded  from  sight;  the 
little  brown  house  sank  down  amongst  the  trees,  and 
then  John  turned  away  and  set  his  face  toward  the 
Silver  City. 

By  the  time  the  new  sailor  had  stowed  away  his 
luggage  and  donned  sea-clothes,  the  sunset  was  gild- 
ing a  distant  cloud  bank  ;  all  that  remained  in  sight 
of  his  native  land.  Midnight  found  them  tossing 
upon  the  long  waves  of  the  open  ocean,  two  thousand 
miles  between  John  and  his  destination. 

The  Dappled  Diver  was  a  stanch  craft,  though 
small  and  old,  of  about  one  hundred  tons'  capacity ; 
and  as  she  sailed  along  steadily,  requiring  very  little 
"handling,"  the  young  sailor,  though  he  shared  both 
night  and  day  watches,  found  time  heavy  on  his 
hands. 

The  ship's  crew  and   officers  promised    no  great 
variety    of   interesting    acquaintanceship.      Captain 
Bowker  was  a  "  down  easier,"  a  native  of  that  vague 
country    located    any- 
where   along    the    New 
England    coast.      His 
mate  was  a  connection, 
and  the  cook  a  brother 
of  his  wife,  so  that  the 
discipline     aboard     the 
Dappled  Diver  was  rather 
lax,  especially  as  the  four 
men    constituting     the 
crew  were  also  from  the 
captain's  own  neighbor- 
hood.    Of  a  kind  dispo- 
sition,   he    soon    treated 
might  his  own  son. 


FLYl.NG    FISH. 


his    new    "hand"  as    he 
He  became  interested  in  his 
plans,  gave  him   advice,   and    steadily   discouraged 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


his  idea  of  setting  off  into  the  interior  of  Yucatan. 
"  Your  project  of  exploring  all  along  the  coast," 
said  he,  "  is  safe  enough,  if  you  are  tolerable  cau- 
tious ;  but  once  you  get  fifty  miles  inland,  you  leave 

the  region  of  towns 
and  cities  where  the 
people  are  kind  and 
peaceable,  and  you 
fall  into  the  hands  of 
savages  who  don't 
show  any  mercy  to 
strangers,  but  put  'em 
to  death  with  all  kinds 
of  torture." 

"But    it    happens 
SEA  GULL.  that    the    portion    of 

Yucatan    I    want    to 

explore  most  is  a  long  ways  inland,  in  a  region  so 
wild  no  white  man  has  ever  been  known  to  pene- 
trate it  and  yet  return  to  describe  it." 
"  And  what's  your  idea  of  going  there  ?  " 
John  colored  up.     He  knew  the  reception  his  pet 
scheme  would  meet  with  from  this  bluff  sailor      But 
he   came  out   boldly :    "  Well,  there   is   said    to   be 
somewhere  in  the  wild  interior  a  large  and  populous 
city  with  "  — 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  bless  your  heart,"  broke  in  the  cap- 
tain, "I  know  all  about  it — with  walls  shining  like 
silver,  with  golden  minarets  and  battlements  of  crys- 
tal, where  the  people  have  all  the  ways  and  costumes 
of  their  ancestors  of  a  thousand  years  ago,  and 
where  they  guard  a  subterranean  treasure-chamber 
containing  more  gold  than  the  Spaniards  got  from 
Montezuma." 

"  That  is  it,  truly,"  admitted  the  astonished  young 
man  ;  "  but  where  did  you  get  that  description  ?  " 

"Oh,  I've  seen  that  old  book;  and  what's  more,  it 
was  nearly  the  means  of  leading  me  off  on  just  such 
a  trip  as  you  are  thinking  of  now,  only  I  had  the 
resolution  to  fight  it.  There  was  one  poor  fellow, 
though,  who  wa'n't  so  fortunate.  He  sailed  a 
schooner  —  the  mate  to  mine  —  built  on  the  same 
stocks  and  launched  the  same  season,  and  though 
only  a  few  know  it,  /  know  that  he  actually  went 
down  there  to  hunt  that  city." 

"  How  long  ago  was  it,  and  what  became  of  him  ?  " 
asked  John. 

"  Nigh  on  to  ten  years  ago,  I  reckon,  and  as  to 
what  became  of  him,  nobody  ever  knew;  but  it  is 
supposed  that  he  sailed  down  towards  Honduras. 


and  was  wrecked  off  that  coast  somewhere.  Some 
of  the  sailors,  it  is  said,  reached  the  shore,  but  they 
were  took  by  the  Indians  and  killed." 

"  Then  you  do  know  what  became  of  him  "  —  He 
stopped  abruptly,  the  blood  almost  standing  still 
around  his  heart.  "  Captain,  do  you  remember  his 
name  ? " 

."  I  don't  exactly.  You  see,  I  was  never  intimate 
with  him;  only  see  his  schooner  now  and  then,  and 
hardly  ever  within  hailing  distance.  But  it  seems  to 
me  that  they  called  him  —  let  me  see  —  Cap'n  North; 
yes,  that  was  it,  I  think.  Halloo,  halloo,  what's  the 
matter?"  for  John  had  seized  him  by  the  shoulder. 
John  smiled  faintly  as  he  sat  down  again.  "  My 
father  was  lost  at  sea  about  ten  years  ago,"  he  said, 
"and  my  mother  believes  he  went  to  look  for  this 
city.  I  think  it  is  the  same  man,  and,  Captain 
Bowker,  he  may  not  be  dead,  if  there  is  nothing  sure 
known  about  the  shipwreck." 

"  This  is  strange  ;  how  things  do  come  about !  " 
said  the  captain.  And  then  he  shook  his  head. 
"  My  boy,  there  isn't  the  faintest  show  of  his  being 
alive  now.  Don't  let  that  lead  you  into  that  old 
Yucatan  wilderness." 

John  said  not  a  word.  Deep  down  in  his  heart 
was  forming  the  resolve  to  reach  that  region,  and 
never  to  leave  it  till  he  had  found  out  the  whole  truth. 
The  captain  seemed  to  divine  his  thoughts.  He 
was  about  to  speak,  when  something  skyward  caught 
his  eye.  "  Look  at  that  cloud  !  "  he  cried  ;  "  there's 
a  squall,  sure's  you're  born.  All  hands  shorten  sail ! 
lively  now  !  " 

It  proved  something  more  serious  than  a  squall, 
the  wind  blowing  before  night  with  fury,  and  the  sea 
running  higher  than  John  at  least  had  ever  seen  it. 

For  several  days  the 
gale  kept  after  them, 
sending  the  little  craft 
along  at  a  speed  that 
shortened  the  voyage  by 
nearly  a  week. 

But  at  last  there  came 
again  pleasant  weather, 
and  the  vessel  sailed 
along  on  even  keel 
wafted  onward  by  the 

PETREL.  1-1  r\  t 

trade    winds.      One   of 

those  pleasant  days,  when  the  sun  shone  and  the 
flying-fish  and  dolphins  were  playing  about  the  bows, 
two  weeks  out,  they  entered  the  "  Horse  Latitudes." 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


They  sailed  slowly  through  vast  stretches  of  gulf 
weed,  like  those  which  frightened  Columbus  and  his 
sailors.  The  wind  weakened  so  that  they  hardly 
moved  ahead :  it  was  several  days  before  they  left 
a-stern  this  famous  "  Sargasso  Sea."  The  water 
assumed  a  deeper  hue  as  they  sailed  southward,  and 
from  out  the  cool  depths  of  blue  darted  the  beautiful 
flying-fish,  skimming  the  waves  and  glancing  like  silver 
in  the  sun  —  a  sight  to  delight  our  young  naturalist. 
"  There  ain't  no  end  to  the  sights  you'll  see  once 
we  fairly  enter  the  tropics,"  said  the  mate,  enjoying 
his  enthusiasm.  "Walkin'  in  them  tropic  forests  is 


a  round  red  face  and  twinkling  black  eyes.  The  whole 
crew  liked  him,  but  they  did  detest  his  cooking;  his 
pastry  was  something  horrible,  and  "plum  duff  "  day, 
which  is  usually  looked  forward  to  with  expectancy, 
always  caused  a  thrill  of  horror  to  run  through  the 
crew  of  the  Diver. 

"  Tom,"  repeated  the  mate,  '•  trot  cut  that  poim." 
But  Tom  with  a  big  blush  under  John's  kindly  but 
keen  gaze,  said  he  had  other  fish  to  fry,  and  turned  a. 
deaf  ear  to  the  mate's  commands. 

As  he  turned  out  next  morning  John  was  surprised 
at  the  swarms  of  sea  birds  flying  along  with  the  vessel  \ 


BAD    LUCK    COMES   TO   THE   "DAPPLED    DIVER." 


jest  like  goin'  through  the  'Arabian  Nights,'  somethin' 
that's  scrumptious  hoppin'  up  at  ever}'  step.  There's 
subjects  for  a  poit,  every  time.  Tom,  here,  's  a  dab- 
ster at  a  poim.  Now  there  was  a  accident  happened 
to  the  Diver  last  v'yage,  and  Tom,  the  cook  here,  he 
jest  went  to  work  and  slung  off  some  of  the  tallest 
kind  of  poitry  about  it.  Tom,  what  did  you  do  with 
that  poim  ?  " 

Tom  was  a  hardy  young  "down  caster"  about 
Ben's  age,  who  had  charge  of  the  galley  and  did  the 
cooking  —  a  jolly  good-natured  boy,  short  and  fat,  with 


gulls  and  terns,  sea  swallows,  frigate-pelicans  and 
tropic  birds,  diving  and  wheeling  in  the  clear  ether, 
while  flocks  of  petrels,  or  "Mother  Gary's  chickens," 
floated  on  the  waves  astern. 

"  They's  curl's  critters,"  remarked  the  mate  as  they 
hung  over  the  rail  looking  at  the  "  chickens  "  skim- 
ming the  sea  and  darting  at  the  galley  refuse  thrown 
over  by  the  cook ;  "  and  they  have  a  way  of  appearin' 
and  disappearin'  that  there  ain't  nobody  can  account 
for.  They're  an  evil  bird,  let  me  tell  you,  and  though 
I've  seen  millions  of  'em  in  my  life,  I'd  no  mnre  dare 


'1HE    SILVER    CITY. 


harm  one  than  I  would  the  spirit  of  my  grandma'am. 
I've  known  more'n  one  occasion  when  the  ketchin'  of 
one  has  brought  bad  luck  to  a  vessel." 

A  cry  forward  just  then  called  them  that  way,  and 
running  up  they  found  that  one  of  the  sailors  in  a 
spirit  of  mischief  had  caught  one  of  the  little  creat- 
ures, and  was  hauling  it  in,  fluttering  and  struggling, 
at  the  end  of  a  line.  He  had  just  got  it  in  his  hands 
as  they  reached  him,  and  with  a  sudden  jerk  broke 
its  neck  and  flung  it  to  the  deck  at  their  very  feet. 

For  a  moment  the  mate  stood  dazed ;  then  with  a 
cry  of  rage  he  darted  at  the  sailor,  who  turned  in 
time  to  evade  him  and  rush  up  the  shrouds. 

"  You  cub !  if  I  ketch  you  on  deck  within  twenty- 
four  hours,  I'll  serve  you  as  you've  served  this  bird  ! 
Just  you  stay  there  in  the  riggin'  till  I  tell  ye  to  come 
down  !  We're  in  for  it  now  sure ;  I'm  as  sartin  some- 
thing will  happen  to  us  before  the  v'yage  is  ended,  as 
that  the  sun  will  set  this  night." 

As  the  mate  thus  spoke  his  great  breast  heaved 
and  the  perspiration  stood  on  his  brow.  All  on 
board,  from  the  captain  to  the  cook,  shared  in  the 
feeling  of  depression.  Immediately  that  their  com- 
panion had  been  killed,  the  petrels  had  disappeared 
just  as  though  the  sea  had  opened  and  swallowed 


SCUDDING    AWAY    FOR    DEAR    LIFE. 


them  up;    one  moment  they  were  danc- 
ing   on    the    water  by    scores,  the    next 
and    there   was  not  one  in  sight ! 


"Rats  leave,  a  sinking  vessel,"  muttered  the  cap- 
tain, "and  Mother  Gary's  chickens  always  skip 
away  when  a  vessel's  bound  for  bad  luck.  However, 
we're  within  two  days  of  Cienfuegos,  and  if  we  don't 
have  it  contrary  within  forty-eight  hours,  we're  all 
right." 

The  Dappled  Diver  was  bound  for  the  port  named, 
on  the  south  coast  of  Cuba,  there  to  load  with  sugar 
and  molasses  for  New  York.  The  captain's  plan 
was  to  get  into  the  Caribbean  Sea,  as  he  had,  and, 
after  passing  south  of  the  Bahamas,  and  between 
Cuba  and  Hayti,  to  sail  westerly  until  in  about  the 
longitude  of  the  port,  and  then  bear  up  for  it.  By 
this  means  he  took  advantage  of  the  rather  strong 
current  setting  up  from  the  Caribbean  into  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  He  was  now  approaching  the  point 
whence  to  change  their  course  to  the  northward,  and, 
late  in  the  afternoon,  after  getting  the  longitude,  he 
told  the  mate  that  at  midnight  they  would  point  the 
Diver's  nose  for  Cienfuegos. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  and  as  the  cook  called  them 
below  for  supper,  the  mate  directed  attention  to  the 
sky  in  the  west,  which  had  taken  on  a  hard,  brassy 
glare,  while  the  intervening  sea  was  black  as  ink. 
The  vessel  had  been  sailing  an  easy  jog  all  day,  but 
now  the  wind  became  baffling,  and  she  was  already 
tossing  uneasily  on  the  restless  waves. 

"I  don't  like  it,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  and  the 
mate  and  John  went  in.  "The  barometer's  falling 
fast.  Soon's  we're  through,  Mr.  Walker,  better  have 
the  men  clew  up  them  topsails,  and  double-reef  the 
mainsail." 

But  there  was  to  be  no  supper  that  night.  Bang  ! 
a  loud  report  sounded  overhead.  The  vessel  heeled 
till  the  water  came  running  in  at  the  lee  scupper. 
The  captain  and  mate  were  out  in  an  instant. 

"  Guess  we  won't  have  to  clew  up  that  fore-topsail, 
cap'n,  for  there  'tis  hangin'  in  tatters.  We're  struck 
fearful  !  "  cried  the  mate. 

The  captain  ran  to  the  wheel,  and,  as  he  took  it 
from  the  man  on  duty,  shouted  hurriedly: 

"  Run  up  aloft  and  take  in  what's  left  of  the 
main-topsail !  Come  aft,  two  of  you,  by  the  main 
halliards.  There  !  hold  on  hard  ;  there  she  comes  1 
Now  go  ahead  and  put  in  a  double-reef  in  the  mainsail. 
Lively,  now,  our  lives  depend  on't !  " 

All  the  other  sails  were  clewed  up  tight ;  then, 
under  a  rag  of  the  mainsail  and  the  flying-jib,  she 
was  put  before  it,  and  scud  away  for  dear  life,  with 
a  hurricane  howling  behind  her. 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


After  the  ropes  had  been  gathered  up  and  every- 
thing made  snug,  the  captain  gave  up  the  wheel  to  John 
(as  it  was  his  watch  from  eight  o'clock  to  midnight) 
and  went  below  to  consult  charts  and  barometer. 

"  It's  a  hurricane,  sure  as  guns,"  said  the  mate  as 
he  came  aft  to  coil  up  a  rope.  "  Where  we  are 
now  is  right  on  the  edge  of  the  hurricane  region,  and 
we'll  be  sure  to  git  enough  of  ft  in  the  next  two  days." 

Captain  Bowker  found  he  had  five  hundred  miles 
between  them  and  the  nearest  land  to  westward,  and 
as  the  gale  was  after  them  from  the  eastward,  there  was 
no  alternative  but  to  let  her  drive  westward.  It  was  a 
terrible  night,  but  the  next  morning  brought  no  relief, 
for  the  wind  was  blowing  the  tops  off  the  white-crested 
waves,  and  whistling  dismally  through  the  rigging. 

The  day  passed.  Night  again  fell  upon  a  stormy 
sea.  The  next  day  saw  them  still  driving  before  the 
unabated  fury  of  the  storm.  The  blackness  of  the 
third  night  was  only  relieved  by  flashes  of  foam  and 
the  glare  of  lightning  through  an  inky  sky.  The  crew 
were  wet  through,  and  hungry  and  weary  with  watch- 
ing. For  the  past  forty-eight  hours  they  had  only 
snatched  a  moment's  sleep  where  they  happened 
to  fall  in  their  clothes. 

A  new  cause  of  anxiety  now  harassed  the  captain. 
Having  been  driven  so  long  to  westward,  they  must 
now  be  very  near  the  coast  that  lay  five  hundred 
miles  to  leeward  when  the  gale  struck.  They  had 
been  speeding  along  at  a  rate  not  less  than  ten  miles 
an  hour,  possibly  twelve,  and  it  needed  no  deep 
reasoning  to  show  that  most  imminent  danger  waited 


just  ahead.  Long  and  anxiously  the  mate  and  captain 
debated  what  it  was  best  to  do. 

"  We  can  only  let  her  drive,"  muttered  the  captain 
despairingly,  "  and  put  our  trust  in  the  God  of 
storms.  To-morrow  will  show  us  where  we  are,  and 
the  wind  may  then  be  blown  out." 

They  were  running  under  bare  poles ;  most  of 
their  sails  were  torn  into  ribbons.  Everything  mova- 
ble had  been  swept  from  the  deck.  The  man  on 
watch  and  the  helmsman  were  lashed  to  their  posts. 
No  fire  had  been  lighted  for  two  days.  Only  hard- 
tack and  raw  bacon  had  been  their  food. 

This  was  their  condition  on  that  third  black  night 
of  storm.  The  sun  went  down  in  a  cloud,  and  the 
lights  in  the  rigging  struggled  feebly  with  the  mid- 
night darkness.  The  wind  wailed  and  shrieked,  the 
sea  roared  and  bellowed  like  a  hundred  lions  chasing 
the  fleeing  vessel  to  their  dismal  dens.  Like  a  flying 
fish  before  the  jaws  of  a  dolphin,  she  still  sped  on. 
At  last  above  the  roar  of  the  storm  came  a  hoarse  cry 
—  the  long-expected  cry  from  the  man  at  the  bow  — 
"  Breakers  ahead  !  " 

There  was  nothing  to  do.  The  trembling  craft 
dashed  right  on,  leaped  high  into  the  clashing  waves, 
sank  upon  the  rocks. 

A  mighty  billow  came  thundering  along  with 
flecks  of  foam  dripping  from  its  jaws ;  it  hung, 
crouched,  one  moment  above  those  helpless  souls ; 
another,  and  it  fell;  the  next,  and  there  was  not  a 
living  thing  in  sight. 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


AFTER     THE     HURRICANE. 


CHAPTER  II. 


(ON  PEDRO  PINTO,  Mex- 
ican fisherman  on  the 
coast  of  Yucatan,  lived 
in  a  small  hut  on  the 
border  of  Lake  Santa 
Cruz,  in  the  island  of 
Cozumel.  He  had 
dwelt  solitary  on  this 
island  for  nearly  three 
years,  holding  little  or 
no  communication  with  either  white  men  or  Indians. 
The  fearful  hurricane  that  had  blown  across  his 
island  preventing  him  from  going  to  sea  for  fish  and 
turtles  for  the  past  three  days,  had  now  died  away. 
Sweet  was  the  air  of  the  forest  with  odors  of  a  thou- 
sand flowers  and  vines,  and  bright  shone  the  sun  on 
the  waves  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  as  he  drew  his 
canoe  from  under  its  shelter  of  palm  branches  and 
pushed  it  over  the  silver  sand  that  bordered  the 
water.  Placing  in  it  his  net  and  lines,  his  turtle  peg, 
some  provisions  and  water,  he  paddled  slowly  out 
from  shore,  Indian  fashion,  facing  the  bows. 

This  is  perhaps  the  loveliest  lake  to  the  eye  that 
lies  in  any  island  of  that  western  Caribbean  Sea.  It 
is  about  two  miles  in  length,  and  a  mile  in  width,  its 
deep  pearl-blue  water  circled  by  a  belt  of  snow-white 
sand,  and  enclosed  by  a  wall  of  forest  trees  display- 
ing all  the  varied  beauty  of  the  tropic  wilderness. 

Standing  at  his  door,  Don  Pedro  could  view  its  en- 
tire length  and  breadth;  could  see  at  a  glance  the 
myriads  of  sea-birds  that  hovered  over  its  surface, 
and  the  black  forms  of  deer  and  wild  hogs  that 
roamed  the  beach  on  the  other  side.  These,  his  only 
neighbors,  did  not  disturb  his  meditations  that  morn- 
ing as  he  paddled  easily  down  towards  the  point 
where  the  lake  connected  with  the  sea,  now  hidden 
by  great  abrupt  cliffs.  As  he  rounded  this 
promontory  the  roaring  of  the  sea  broke  upon  his 
ears,  telling  him  that  though  the  storm  had  subsided, 
the  waters  of  the  ocean  had  not,  and  his  little  canoe 


presently  began  to  toss  lightly  upon  water  agitated 
by  the  rolling  waves  outside.  He  saw  that  he  could 
not  venture  in  his  frail  craft ;  that  his  fishing  must  be 
confined  to  the  lake. 

Looking  about  for  a  choice  spot,  something  be- 
neath the  cliff  at  the  farther  wall  of  the  narrow  en- 
trance arrested  his  attention. 

" Santa  Maria!"  muttered  he  in  Spanish,  his 
mother  tongue.  "  Santa  Maria !  that  looks  like  a 
good  boat  for  me." 

Swiftly  plying  his  paddle,  he  was  soon  alongside  itr 
indulging  in  the  prospect  of  now  being  able  to  go 
turtling  in  any  weather,  since  so  large  and  strong  a 
boat  as  this  appeared  to  be,  had  been  cast  up  espe- 
cially for  him  by- the  waves.  Reaching  over  to 
grasp  the  rail,  his  eye  fell  on  an  object  lying  across  a 
thwart  that  caused  him  to  exclaim  in  horror,  and 
cross  himself.  "  Ah  !  Mother  of  Mercy!  There's  a 
poor  boy  who  must  have  perished  in  last  night's 
gale." 

Clambering  into  the  boat,  he  found  an  oar  lashed 
inside,  and  with  this  he  brought  his  capture  up 
the  bay  near  his  hut.  Running  the  boat  upon  the 
sand,  he  gently  lifted  out  its  occupant,  bore  him  up 
the  bank  beneath  a  palm-tree,  and  softly  laid  him 
down. 

"  Pobrecito !  poor  little  one  !  "  exclaimed  he  in 
pity.  "  To  think  thou  art  so  young  !  To  think  that 
thou  should  be  borne  ashore  only  to  be  buried  !  Thou 
seem'st  a  gentle  lad,  and  might  have  been  bon  came- 
rado  with  poor  Don  Pedro  ! " 

He  sat  down  beside  the  boy.  He  took  one  of  his 
hands,  and  scanned  the  pallid  face  from  which  the 
dark  hair  fell  away  wet  and  heavy. 

"  As  though  he  might  be  asleep,"  he  muttered. 
"  It  is  strange  his  eyes  should  be  closed.  When 
people  are  drowned  their  eyes  are  always  open. 
How  many  have  I  looked  into,  staring  wide  at  me 
from  the  waves  !  And  his  hand,  it  is  not  very  cold ; 
it  is  all  but  warm.  Do  I  dare  think  he  is  alive  ?  It 
is  not.  possible ;  yet  I  can  fancy  that  his  eyelids 
move.  Ah,  Dios,  they  do  move!" 

Don  Pedro  wasted  no  more  time  in  words.     He 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


flew  to  his  hut  for  restoratives.  There  could  be  no 
assistance,  no  advice.  But  Don  Pedro  needed  none. 
He  knew  the  very  moment  when  a  flush  of  color 
should  come  into  the  cheeks ;  he  could  time  the  faint 
gasps  of  breath ;  he  paused  for  the  slow  opening  of 
the  great  brown  eyes  that  looked  up  into  his  so  wonder- 
ingly  —  as  though  for  the  first  time  they  were  gazing 
upon  the  world.  Then  the  eyelids  drooped,  and  a 
deep  sleep  fell  at  once  upon  the  boy. 

"All  is  right,"  murmured  Don  Pedro. 

He  proceeded  at  once  to  remove  him  to  his  own 


"AH!   MOTHER  OF  MERCY!" 

bed  of  moss  and  palm  leaves ;  to  take  off  his  wet 
clothes,  and  wrap  him  in  warm  garments. 

Soon  the  brown  eyes  opened  once  more ;  this  time 
a  troubled  soul  looked  through,  sorely  perplexed. 
The  pale  lips  framed  a  question  : 

"  Are  you  my  father  ?  " 

Now  Don  Pedro  though  he  spoke  only  Spanish 
and  the  language  of  Yucatan,  had  often  visited  the 
English  settlement  of  Belize,  and  understood  much  of 
the  English  tongue.  It  was  an  uncertain  idea  that 
this  strange  voice  now  conveyed  to  him,  yet  after 


some  thought  he  grasped  and  understood  the  ques- 
tion ;  but  he  could  not  reply  in  English.  Taking  the 
feeble  hand  in  his,  he  answered  slowly  in  his  own 
language : 

"St,  su padre!"  — yes,  I  am  your  father. 

"  He  has  been  given  to  me  by  the  sea,"  reasoned 
the  fisherman.  "  He  shall  henceforth  be  my  son.  So 
I  am  his  father." 

But  a  look  of  doubt  deepened  on  the  lad's  face. 
Don  Pedro  saw  he  had  not  been  understood.  He 
bowed  his  head  upon  his  hands  and  murmured  a 
touching  prayer : 

"  Padre  mio,  I  beseech  thee  give  me  a  language 
that  can  be  comprehended  by  this  my  son,  given 
to  me  by  the  sea  !  " 

There  was  a  common  language  at  command.  Un- 
consciously, Don  Pedro  gave  expression  to  it  in  the 
stronggrasp  of  his  hand  and  the  tender  light  that  played 
on  his  usually  grave  and  sad  face.  The  boy  under- 
stood. He  felt  a  father's  protection. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  was  his  next  question. 

After  pondering  awhile,  Don  Pedro  answered  with 
careful  distinctness  : 

"  Cozumel." 

An  expression  of  astonishment  now  took  the  place 
of  doubt.  He  let  his  mind  wander  back  to  the  chip- 
charts.  He  slowly  recalled  the  position  of  an  island 
named  Cozumel. 

"  What !  "  said  he,  trying  to  rise,  "  am  I  so  near 
the  coast  of  Yucatan  ?  " 

"  Si —  yes  —  cerca  de —  near  Yucatan,"  responded 
Don  Pedro. 

Slowly  the  boy's  lips  moved.  He  meant  to  speak 
aloud ;  but  Don  Pedro  heard  no  sound.  The  boy 
rehearsed  the  past  only  to  his  own  consciousness  : 

"  Ah,  yes  ;  it  was  that  great  wave  hanging  over  us  ! 
It  crushed  down  and  swept  us  all  into  the  sea,  and  I 
was  dashed  into  the  boat  that  hung  over  the  stern. 
I  suppose  I  clung  to  the  seat.  Probably  I  drifted.  I 
have  been  picked  up,  I  suppose,  story-book  fashion. 
Where  are  the  others  ?  "  he  cried  suddenly  and  audi- 
bly. "  I  ought  to  see  about  it  at  once  !  See  here ! 
there  are  several  besides  me ;  let  us  set  out  at  once." 

Vainly  trying  to  rise,  he  sank  back  with  a  groan, 
and,  turning  his  face  to  the  wall,  wrestled  with  the 
anguish  of  full  recollection. 

Don  Pedro  was  in  despair.  He  could  catch  only 
a  fragment  of  the  boy's  meaning.  But  he  gathered  that 
he  had  been  wrecked  on  the  southern  reef,  and  that 
there  were  others  in  need  of  assistance.  He  walked 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


the  floor,  pulling  at  his  long  white  beard,  devoutly 
wishing  again  that  there  was  some  common  language 

between   him  and  the 
boy. 

The  reader  has  al- 
ready concluded  that 
Don  Pedro's  patient 
was  no  other  than  our 
adventurous  John 
North.  The  first 
great  sea  that  toppled 
over  the  Dappled  Diver 
swept  him  into  the  long- 
boat hanging  by  its 
davits ;  the  second 
freed  the  boat  from  its 
fastenings  and  flung 
her  over  the  reef  into 
a  sheltered  lagoon,  where  she  floated,  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  breakers,  and  drifted  finally,  with  the 
unconscious  occupant,  against  the  northern  point 
forming  the  entrance  to  the  lake.  (See  map.} 

By  the  time  John  had  awakened  from  the  heavy 
sleep  into  which  he  fell-  at  length,  it  was  noon.  The 
sun  hung  above  the  lake,  a  ball  of  fire  above  a  glow- 
ing mirror.  Don  Pedro,  meantime,  had  resolved 
upon  a  visit  to  the  wreck,  which  he  knew  must  lie 
near.  He  was  only  waiting  for  a  word  with  the  boy. 
Now  that  he  had  wakened,  he  brought  him  a  great 
green  cocoanut  full  of  cool  delicious  water;  and  after 
drinking  it,  John  felt  so  much  better  that  he  insisted 
upon  rising  and  setting  forth  at  once. 

Don  Pedro  protested ;  made  him  understand  that 
the  sun  was  too  hot,  the  distance  too  far,  the  excite- 
ment too  great ;  that  he  would  be  back  by  sunset. 
But  the  coast-bred  New  England  boy  laughed  at  the 
idea  of  being  unmanned  by  a  night's  wetting.  He 
rose  and  shook  himself,  staggered  for  a  moment,  and 
then  in  expressive^  pantomime  demanded  his  clothes. 
Don  Pedro,  cheered  with  the  young  man's  energy, 
fished  up  some  old  garments  from  a  battered  sea- 
chest.  In  these  John  was  soon  dressed,  and  they  set 
out. 

Don  Pedro  carried  a  great  wicker  haversack  upon 
his  shoulders,  in  which  he  had  placed  cooked  provis- 
ions and  some  stimulants.  Each  had  a  large  stick, 
and  Don  Pedro  buckled  about  his  waist  a  broad 
leather  belt  full  of  cartridges,  with  a  pistol  and  long 
knife. 

By  referring  to  the  map,  the  reader  will  notice  that 


Don  Pedro's  hut  was  set  down  on  the  shore  of  a  little 
bay  on  the  west  side  of  the  lake,  and  that  between  it 
and  the  sea  or  open  channel  where  the  wreck  oc- 
curred, there  was  but  a  narrow  strip  of  land,  covered 
with  dense  forest.  Through  this  forest  Don  Pedro 
had  long  since  opened  a  path  ;  for  the  wreck  of  the 
Diver was  not  the  first  that  had  happened  on  that 
reef ;  in  fact,  he  depended  more  upon  what  the  sea 
cast  up  to  him,  than  upon  the  fish  and  turtle  he  drew 
out  of  it ;  and  it  was  his  custom  to  visit  the  point  once 
a  week  —  every  Sunday  —  and  this  he  had  done  for 
years,  accumulating  in  his  weekly  excursions  much 
valuable  spoil.  Evidence  of  this  might  be  seen  in  the 
furnishings  of  his  hut,  and  he  had  another  cabin  at 
the  reefs  where  he  stored  whatever  he  could  not  move 
to  the  house  by  the  lake. 

The  path  was  about  two  miles  in  length,  and  led 
on  through  deep  woods  where  underfoot  was  white 
coral  rock,  and  overhead  a  dense  canopy  of  leaves. 
Don  Pedro  strode  ahead  with  his  great  knife,  cutting 
away  the  vines  that  had  fallen  across  the  trail  since 
his  last  visit,-  and  in  spite  of  the  solemn  errand  upon 
which  they  were  bound,  and  his  own  weakness,  John 
felt  a  sense  of  joy  and  courage  as  he  followed,  inhal- 
ing the  delicious  forest  odors.  He  was  half  bewil- 
dered by  the  strange  forms  of  vegetation.  Long 
vines  hung  from  great  trees,  dropping  suddenly  from 
out  the  maze  of  branches  above,  without  visible  root 
or  support ;  and  these  coiled  about  each  other,  inter- 
twined and  hung  with  giant  ferns  and  long  mosses. 
Through  these  vines,  and  from  tree  to  tree,  darted 
bright-colored  birds,  the 
whole  forest  musical 
with  their  song  and  chat- 
ter. 

At  sight  of  these  John 
felt  stir  a  pulse  of  his  old 
ambition.  He  longed  to 
begin  his  commission  for 
the  museum  that  moment. 
But  how  could  he  work  ? 
His  gun  and  ammunition 
were  lost;  so  was  the 
money  that  had  been 
paid  him  in  advance. 
But  he  cheered  up  pres- 
ently; partly  from  the  DON  PEDRO'S  HUT. 
Yankee  consciousness  of 

a  birthright  of  good  luck,  and  partly  from  a  tingling 
of  strength  and  vim  along  vein,  nerve  and  sinew. 


12 


THE    SILVER    CITX. 


WILD   DEER    OF   YUCATAN. 


The  freshness  of  the  great  green  sea-washed  region 
was  like  balm  and  wine.  Hungrily,  thirstily,  he  took 
great  draughts  of  these  subtle  restoratives.  Confident 
that  a  way  would  be  opened  to  his  work,  even  as  one 
had  been  for  his  escape  from  the  sea,  he  followed 
Don  Pedro,  watching  for  the  first  glimpse  of  the  sea. 

After  an  hour  or  so 
the  trees  became  smaller, 
the  forest  more  open, 
dwindling  to  low  bushes, 
then  came  in  sight  the 
sand  dunes  ;  and  at  the 
same  time  the  roaring  of 
the  sea  burst  upon  their 
ears.  Anxiously,  with- 
out a  word,  they  climbed 
the  last  sand-hillock  and 
looked  off  upon  the  open 
water.  Below  were  the 
reefs,  from  which  the  breakers  were  tossing  sheets 
of  foam,  and  between  were  quiet  lagoons  filled  with 
sea-mosses  and  bright-banded  fish. 

'•  Is  there  nothing,  not  a  spar  left  of  the  vessel?  " 
said  John  to  himself. 

The  next  moment  there  loomed  up  the  battered 
hulk  of  the  Divet  without  masts,  rigging  gone,  but 
standing  bolt  upright  on  the  edge  of  a  reef  of  coral. 
Her  entire  hull  was  out  of  water,  and  he  saw  that  a 
pathway  of  coral  led  out  and  nearly  reached  her.  He 
started  on  a  run  clown  the  bank,  but  Don  Pedro, 
partly  by  signs  and  partly  by  words,  halted  him. 

"  Stay  here  till  I  go  and  examine.  It  is  better, 
because  I  know  the  coast." 

John  understood.  Much  against  his  will  he  re- 
mained on  the  sand.  His  heart  beat  so  wildly  that 
at  last  he  sat  down.  In  a  short  time  he  was  to  know 
whether  any  remained  of  the  crew,  or  whether  he  was 
a  lone  castaway.  It  seemed  only  a  half-mile  to  the 
wreck,  but  Don  Pedro  proceeded  slowly,  the  coral 
points  were  so  sharp  and  so  slimy  with  seaweed ;  and 
John's  gaze  was  divided  between  him  as  he  picked 
his  way  and  the  forlorn  hulk,  so  pitiful  in  its  helpless 
condition. 

Once  as  his  eyes  rested  upon  the  vessel,  he  fancied 
he  saw  a  wreath  of  smoke  rise  into  the  air  amidships. 
Rubbing  his  eyes,  he  looked  again.  This  time  he 
was  sure.  A  thin  column  of  smoke  rose  straight  up 
in  the  still  air.  He  could  not  contain  himself.  He 
shouted  to  Don  Pedro  : 

"  Hullo  !     Hurrah !  hurrah  !  " 


The  Mexican  looked  back.  Following  the  direction 
of  John's  hand,  he  too  saw  the  smoke,  and  waved  his 
arms  as  token  of  it.  John  rushed  down  the  bank  and 
out  upon  the  coral  strand,  though  Don  Pedro  waved 
him  back.  But  he  kept  on ;  and  he  paid  the  penalty 
of  disobedience  too,  for  as  he  reached  the  Mexican,  he 
found  him  bending  above  a  startling,  sorrowful  sight — 
one  of  the  Dappled  Diver's  crew  stretched  out  cold 
and  stiff,  one  hand  clinging  to  the  seaweed,  and  his 
vacant  eyes  rolled  up  to  the  sky. 

It  was  from  an  apprehension  of  this  very  thing, 
and  from  a  doubt  of  his  strength  to  stand  the  shock, 
that  Don  Pedro  had  cautioned  him  to  await  his 
return.  Now  he  had  the  grim  satisfaction  of  seeing 
the  wilful  boy's  face  grow  ghastly,  and  his  legs 
weaken  so  that  he  must  have  fallen  but  for  an  out- 
stretched arm. 

"  Now  you  go  back,"  entreated  Don  Pedro ;  "  there'll 
be  more." 

"  No,"  persisted  John.  "  I  go  on.  I  can  endure 
now,  if  I  find  them  all.  I  must  reach  the  vessel ; 
there  there  is  at  least  one  man  alive." 

Taking  him  by  the  hand,  Don  Pedro  led  the  way, 
muttering  prayers  ;  and  finally  they  reached  a  point 
whence  their  voices  might  reach  the  ears  of  whoever 
might  be  on  board. 

"  Ship  ahoy  !  "  shouted  John ;  but  his  voice  was 
not  the  clear  clarion  it  was  when  he  could  make  a 
person  hear  distinctly  across  the  old  North  farm.  It 
must  have  fallen  far  short  of  the  mark. 

Then  Don  Pedro  joined  in  with  a  wild,  grim  Mexi- 
can sort  of  "  Hullo  !  " 

It  answered  the  purpose,  though  addressed  to  Yan- 
kee ears.  They  heard  a  faint  answering  shout,  like 
an  echo  ;  but  it  was  not  an  echo,  for  soon  a  head  ap- 
peared above  the  rail,  and  then  the  figure  of  a  man 
with  wildly  waving  arms ;  and  they  heard  joyful, 
though  unintelligible,  shouts. 

And  now  another  figure  joined  the  first.  John 
made  a  telescope  of  his 
hand.  He  thought  he 
recognized  Tom  Bolton, 
their  cook.  A  little  later 
he  was  sure,  for  no  other 
man  or  boy  would  have 
stood  on  his  head  for  joy, 
and  waved  his  legs  in- 
stead of  his  arms. 

Soon    they    got    near 
enough      to      hear     one 


THE   TERN. 


THE    SILVER    CTT\. 


PECCARY,    OR    WILD    HOG. 


another's    calls.      Then   they  learned  that  the   two 
were   Tom    Bolton    and    Mr.    Walker,    the    mate. 

"Where  are  the  oth- 
ers ?  "  called  John. 

"Gone!  every  one  !" 
shouted  Mr.  Walker. 
"Can  you  get  us  ?  " 

They  had  reached  the 
limit  of  the   reef.     Be- 
tween them  and  the  ves- 
sel lay  an  open  channel 
nearly  sixty  feet   wide. 
John    looked    doubtful. 
"  Hold  on  !  "  shouted  the  mate.     "  I  can  bring  you 
aboard,  if  you  can't  bring  us  ashore." 

He  disappeared,  was  gone  for  a  few  minutes,  then 
came  in  sight  again  with  a  coil  of  line.     To  one  end 
of  this  he  tied  a  heavy  lead. 
"  Now  stand  from  under  !  " 

He  whirled  the  lead  about  his  head,  then  let  fly  the 
coil,  which  straightened  out,  reached  across  the  chan- 
nel and  well  up  upon  the  coral. 
"  Pull  in  the  slack,"  he  cried. 

John  and  Don  Pedro  pulled  until  they  brought  up 
from  the  water  the  end  of  a  heavy  rope  which  the 
mate  had  bent  on  to  the  line. 

"  That's  the  talk,"  he  shouted  again  ;  "now  make 
the  cable  fast  about  one  of  them  rocks  some  ways 
from  the  shore." 

This  done,  the  mate  and  Tom  took  several  turns 
about  the  capstan,  and  soon  drew  the  cable  tight  as  a 
drumhead. 

"  Three  Swiss  Family  Robinson  cheers  for  our 
suspension  bridge  !  "  cried  Tom.  "  Let's  see  how  she 
works  ! " 

Before  the  mate  could  prevent,  he  had  darted  over 
the  side,  and  swarmed  across  the  rope-bridge  like  a 
monkey  across  a  grape-vine  between  trees. 

"  How  are  you,  John,  old  fellow  ? "  he  demanded 
eagerly,  as  the  two  boys  grasped  each  other  by  the 
hand.  "  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  'specially  "  — 
and  here  he  looked  as  sorrowful  as  was  possible  to 
Tom  Bolton  —  "  'specialty's  the  mate  and  I  thought 
we  was  all  there  was  left.  Come  aboard,  and  see 
how  snug  we're  fixed,  you  and  your  friend  here. 
What's  the  old  chap's  name  anyway  ?  Don't-ee  he 
speak-ee  English  ? " 

"  Easy,  Tom,"  said  John,  feeling  the  enlivening  ef- 
fect of  his  presence,  and  smiling.  "  He  understands 
sufficient  English  for  you  to  have  a  care  in  what  you 


say;  as  for  his  name,  I  don't  know  what  it  is  yet  my- 
self." 

"  No  matter ;  good  feller,  anyhow  ;  saved  your  life, 
did  he  ? 

"Old  gentleman,  if  you're  a  friend  of  John's  you're 
my  friend  too.  Shake-ee  now,  shake-ee !  " 

Don  Pedro  smiled,  much  amused  at  this  odd,  rosy, 
plump  specimen  of  a  boy,  and  gave  Tom's  hand  a 
hearty  grip. 

"  Now  come  aboard,  both  of  you !  "  cried  Tom, 
"and — hallo!  look  at  that  shark!  And  there's  a 
dozen  more  taking  up  their  stations  right  under  the 
rope.  This  'ere  bridge  is  a  leetle  nearer  the  water 
than  I'd  like  for  the  first  few  feet  from  shore." 

"  Oh,  I'll  go  ahead  if  you  say  fear's  the  word, 
Tom,"  said  John  ;  and  lightly  climbing  the  rope,  he 
was  soon  over  the  rail  with  his  hands  in  the  horny 
palms  of  the  mate.  Don  Pedro  after  signing  Tom  to 
be  careful,  which  Tom  mimicked  behind  his  back  in 
very  excess  of  high  spirits,  also 
reached  the  vessel's  side  in 
safety;  and  after  they  were 
aboard  Tom  shouted  out  that  he 


TOM    CROSSES   THE   SUSPENSION    BRIDGE. 


was  going  to  cruise  along  shore  a  little,  to  see  what 
he  could  pick  up. 

The  old  Dappled  Diver  decks  were  desolate  enough. 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


"  You  can  see  what  a  pickle  we're  in,"  said  the  mate ; 
"  not  a  loose  piece  of  plank  left  big  enough  to  swim  by, 
let  alone  make  a  raft  of.  Howsoever,  if  you  hadn't 
hove  in  sight  when  you  did,  we  should  have  up 
anchor  and  made  a  lay  for  land  to-morrow ;  for 
though  the  Diver's  high  and  dry  now,  the  fust  west 
wind'll  likely  drift  her  out  to  sea.  You  see  how 
she's  fixed — sot  right  into  a  cradle  in  the  reef,  and 
can't  budge  an  inch  long's  the  wind  holds  the  way 
'tis ;  but  when  the  wind  changes,  then  look  out, 
says  I." 

John  asked  for  an  account  of  the  wreck  from  ship- 
board standpoint,  and  Mr.  Walker  sat  down  to  spin 
the  dark  yarn. 

"Well,  John,"  said  he,  "you  see  that  big  wave 
just  knocked  everybody  over  like  tenpins,  and  every 
single  soul  that  was  on  deck  was  washed  overboard. 
After  that  the  waves  weakened,  till  finally  they 
throwed  us  on  to  the  reef  just  far  enough  to  be  out 
of  reach  of  the  M'ust  ones,  and  there  we  sot,  jest 
as  safe  as  if  we  was  shored  up  on  the  stocks ;  you 
see  everything  had  gone  by  the  board  a  long  time 
before,  and  there  wa'n't  nothing  to  topple  her  over — 
no  masts  nor  riggin'." 

"  But  where  were  you  all  this  time,  mate  ?  " 

"  I  was  below  ;  I  said  to  Captain  Bowker,  said  I, 
'Cap'n,  it's  my  opinion  we're  better  off  below,  for 
whatever  comes,  we  can't  do  no  good  on  deck.' 
That  was  a  few  minutes  before  that  wave  hit  us  ;  but 
he  up  and  said  that  his  duty  was  on  deck,  and  if  he'd 
got  to  die  he'd  be  found  with  his  hand  on  the  wheel ; 
and  so  I  s'pose  he  was,  poor  fellow ! 

"I  went  below  and  got  into  my  bunk.  The  next 
thing  I  know'd  I  heerd  an  , awful  screeching,  and 
the  vessel  heeled  over  a  minute,  and  then  there  was 
a  lull,  and  the  water  came  pouring  into  the  cabin 
till  it  was  half-way  up  to  my  bunk.  But  I  lay  there 
till  mighty  near  daylight,  when  not  seein'  the  water 
gainin',  I  ventured  to  wade  to  the  cabin  stairs,  and 
put  my  head  up  outside.  '  Ahoy  on  deck  there ! ' 
says  I.  There  wa'n't  no  answer.  '  Anybody  alive  ? ' 
says  I.  There  wa'n't  no  sound  except  the  dash  of 
the  waves  against  the  counter,  and  the  wailin'  of  the 
wind.  I  tell  ye  I  felt*  scared.  The  blood  kind  o' 
settled  'round  my  heart,  and  I  fell  down  on  the  deck, 
and  I  tried  to  pray.  Says  I :  'O  Lord,  am  I  the  only 
living  thing  aboard  this  vessel  ?  Every  one  that  went 
is  a  better  man  than  I  be  —  why  did  you  leave  me  ? ' 
Then  I  sot  there  till  daylight." 

"But  where  was  Tom  all  this  time  ?•" 


"Well,  I'll  tell  ye:  Tom  was  asleep  !  " 

"  Asleep  !  How  could  he  sleep  through  all  that 
terrible  night  ? " 

"  That's  what  I  say.  But  sleep  he  did.  Blamed 
if  he  didn't  sleep  through  the  hull  on't.  And  the 
fust  thing  I  know'd  was  his  comin'  up  and  layin'  his 
hand  on  my  shoulder,  and  a-sayin',  '  Seems  to  me, 
mate,  they's  a  good  deal  of  water  in  the  cabin,'  says 
he.  And  when  I  looked  up,  amazed  that  there  had 
somebody  been  alive  all  that  time  in  the  vessel,  he 
says,  says  he,  '  Mate,  where's  the  rest  of  us  ? ' 

"  And  then  I  answered  and  said,  '  Tom,  there  ain't 
no  rest  of  us  now;  we're  all  there  is?  He  dropped 
down  on  the  bitts  there  as  though  he'd  been  struck 
by  a  marlinespike.  There  we  both  sot  without  sayin'  a 
word  till  noon.  Bymeby  Tom  up  and  picks  himself 
up  kinder  slowly,  and  says  he,  '  Mate,  I  reckon 
we've  got  to  have  somethin'  to  eat.  I'll  rummage 
the  caboose.'  Then  I  see  there  wa'n't  no  use  settin' 
there.  I  gathered  myself  together  and  hunted  round 
for -something  to  make  a  fire;  and  we'd  jest  got  our 
breakfast,  and  had  time  to  bail  the  heft  of  the  water 
out  of  the  cabin  when  you  diskivered  us.  Go  below 
and  take  a  look  ?  Invite  your  chum,  if  you  like. 
Mexican,  ain't  he  ?  What  d'you  say  his  name  was  ?  " 

"  You  know  as  well  as  I,  for  I  haven't  heard  him 
Siay,  and  don't  know  how  to  ask  him." 

"Just  so.  But  all  these  fellers  speak  Spanish, 
and  when  I  was  on  the  Spanish  Main  I  learnt  to 
jabber  that.  Now  you  just  lay  back  and  listen. 
Here  goes : 

"  I  say  Seenor,  parlez  vous  Espanol,  hey  ? " 

"Si,  Senor—" 

"  You  no  speaky  English  lettly  bit,  hey  ?  " 

"  No,  Seuor." 

"  Understandy  some,  hey  ? " 

"  Si,  Senor,  comprendo  unpoco"  (Yes,  sir,  I  under- 
stand a  little.) 

"  Well  then,  you  don't  mind  tellin'  me  your  name, 
do  you  ?' " 

"  Como  ?  "     (How  ?) 

"  Your  name  ;  can't  you  tell  us  what  your  daddy 
calls  you  to  hum  ?  " 

"  Ah,  usted  quiere  mi  nombre  ?  "  (You  wish  to  know 
my  name  ?)  "  To  soy  "  (I  am)  "  Pedro  Pinto,  a  su 
disposition"  (At  your  service.) 

"  There,  now  you're  talkin' !  Well,  John,  he  calls 
himself  Pedro  Pinto.  Pedro  is  Peter,  and  to  do  the 
correct  thing,  we  oughter  call  him  Don  Pedro,  or  Mr. 
Peter.  Well,  Don  Pedro,  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you, 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


though  we  have  come  on  to  you  rather  sudding.  There, 
John,  I  guess  I've  done  the  business  up  kinder  slick; 
come  below  now. 

"You  see  everything  jest  about  as  you  left  it," 
continued  the  mate  cheerfully,  as  they  descended  the 
cabin  stairs  and  passed  into  the  wet  and  dismal 
rooms.  "  'Bout  the  same,  only  'tain't.  Here's  the- 
chronometer,  jist  as  Captain  strapped  it  up  to 
take  with  him.  Well,  he's  gone  himself,  but  he 
didn't  take  no  timepiece.  Here's  all  his  charts  and 


As  if  in  reply,  Tom's  voice  reached  them  ringing 
out  from  the  water  edge  to  which  the  rope-bridge  was 
stretched :  "  Help  !  help !  " 

Rushing  to  the  rail,  they  saw  Tom  struggling  in  the 
water,  clinging  to  the  slackened  cable. 

"  Help. !  "    he  cried.      "  The  sharks  are  after  me!  " 

In  the  thickening  twilight,  they  saw  three  ghostly 
white  bodies  gliding  through  the  water  towards  the 
spot  where  poor  Tom  was  splashing,  his  bocfv  half 
submerged.  It  seemed  a  hopeless  case,  for  there 


THE   MEXICAN'    WAS    THE    FIRST   TO   ACT. 


papers  and  cur'os'ties  that  he's  been  a-savin'  for  his 
wife  and  children,  poor  things !  All  this  property 
and  all  there  is  movable  aboard,  I've  got  to  make 
myself  responsible  for  to  the  owners  and  underwriters. 
What's  yourn,  you  take.  Nobody  knows  if  I'll  ever 
git  away  home  to  render  an  account  at  all.  Here's 
your  room,  and  here's  your  chist  and  box;  guess 
you'd  better  git  'em  up  on  deck,  and  take  out  what's 
in  'em,  and  dry  'em  in  the  sun  ;  guess  your  powder's 
pooty  wet  by  this  time,  and  your  gun  some  rusty.  It's 
nigh  onto  sunset,  but  and  if  you  an'  Don  Pedro'll  take 
hold,  we'll  git  out  what  we  can.  Here  we  air  on  deck ; 
to-night  we'll  stretch  a  awning,  and  sleep  here.  Wonder 
what's  become  of  Tom  —  'bout  dark  ;  ought  to  be  here." 


was  nothing  at  hand  to  throw  at  the  sharks,  and  if 
one  descended  the  rope  to  grasp  the  boy,  it  would 
only  slacken  the  more  and  plunge  him  the  deeper. 
John  turned  white.  Was  the  most  terrible  incident 
of  all  sea-life  stories  to  come  true  under  his  very  eyes  ? 
The  Mexican  was  the  first  to  act.  Motioning  the 
mate  to  the  capstan  to  tighten  the  cable,  he  took  his 
long  bright  knife  between  his  teeth,  and  swinging 
over  the  rail,  crept  cautiously  along  the  rope. 

He  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  but  he  was  fully  a  rod 
away  when  the  leading  shark  turned  over  on  his  back 
and  glided  beneath  the  boy  with  open  mouth  set  with 
white  and  glistening  teeth. 


i6 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


OUT  OF  DANGER  IN  TO  DANGER. 


CHAPTER  III. 


iARAMBA!"  muttered 
Don  Pedro  between  his 
teeth,  slipping  along  the 
rope ;  "  the  boy's  gone  ! 
ha  !  that  was  not  badly 
done ! " 

By  a  convulsive  up- 
ward fling,  Tom  had 
raised  himself  out  of 
water  at  the  right  in- 
stant, and  the  shark's 
jaws  closed  on  empty 
air ;  not  on  air  alone  either,  for  they  clutched  the 
lower  portion  of  his  jacket,  and  held  on. 

The  sweat  broke  out  on  Don  Pedro's  forehead  and 
hands.  If  he  advanced  one  move  nearer,  he  would 
sink  the  cable  deeper,  and  Tom's  hold  would  prob- 
ably give  way.  There  was  but  just  one  thing  to  do — 
a  risky  thing.  But  he  reached  around,  drew  his  re- 
volver from  his  belt,  and  levelled  it  at  the  head  of 
the  shark.  The  aim  was  a  sure  one  ;  at  the  report 
the  jaws  relaxed,  and  Tom  was  for  a  moment  free. 
But  only  for  a  moment,  for  before  he  could  move 
on  into  safety,  the  blood  that  tinged  the  water  from 
the  wounded  fish  drew  a  score  of  others,  cruel  and 
eager ;  four  at  once  swam  straight  for  the  place  of 
the  wounded  one,  in  their  blind,  furious  haste  disre- 
garding Tom,  who  now  hung  helpless  with  one  arm 
over  the  cable,  and  his  eyes  starting  from  his  blood- 
less face  as  he  beheld  the  eddying  horror  beneath  him. 
Don  Pedro  was  again  equal  to  the  emergency.  Drop- 
ping his  revolver  he  crept  forward,  seized  the  heavy, 
inert  fellow,  and  by  a  mighty  lift  and  spring,  cleared 
the  horrible  seething  waters  below,  and  placed  Tom 
before  him  —  above  him  —  on  the  rope.  The  tightening 
of  the  cable  through  the  combined  efforts  of  John 
and  the  mate  at  the  capstan,  raised  them  a  little,  but 
not  beyond  the  reach  of  the  sharks,  who  by  a  lucky 
leap  could  still  have  seized  them  both. 

"  For  your  life,"  gasped  Don  Pedro  as  he  motioned 


Tom  to  climb  along  the  rope.  The  boy  understood 
the  situation  well  enough  to  draw  himself  —  though 
slowly  and  clumsily  —  up  the  slanting  cable  towards 
the  ship's  side,  where  at  last  John  grasped  him  by 
the  collar  and  lifted  him  over  the  rail. 

This  had  occupied  several  long  minutes ;  and 
meanwhile  Don  Pedro  was  in  peril  himself.  Had  he 
followed  Tom  immediately,  he  might  have  escaped; 
but  the  sturdy  old  fisher  lingered  to  have  a  blow  at 
the  sharks.  He  bore  them  an  ancient  grudge,  for 
they  were  constantly  besetting  him  at  sea,  and  had 
robbed  his  nets  of  many  a  catch.  They  were  not 
slow  to  meet  him  half-way.  One  after  another  they 
rose,  with  open  mouths,  gnashing  their  white  teeth  in 
vain  efforts  to  seize  him  as  he  dealt  them  blow  after 
blow  with  his  keen-edged  knife. 

John  and  the  mate  watched  this  battle  with  dismay, 
for  they  saw  Don  Pedro's  danger  better  than  he  him- 
self. And  now  knotting  a  rope  around  his  waist  and 
taking  another  in  his  hand,  leaving  the  mate  holding 
the  slack  of  both,  John  crept  in  his  turn  down  the 
cable  towards  the  rash  man  who  had  saved  his  life. 
He  had  evidently  become  conscious  of  his  folly  and 
his  peril,  and  would  have  turned,  but  he  could  not ;  for 
when  he  should  turn,  so  near  was  he  to  the  water,  his 
leg  would  be  bitten  off  in  an  instant ;  as  it  was,  the 
mass  of  sharks  below  were  only  kept  at  bay  by 
repeated  blows.  Without  moving  his  head,  he  called 
vehemently  :  "  Carne  !  came  :  " 

"What  does  he  mean  ?  "  called  the  mate  to  John ; 
"  he  is  saying  meat,  meat/''  Then  he  caught  his 
breath  with  an  angry  laugh.  "  Oh,  what  a  dunder- 
head !  Tom,  can't  you  get  at  the  storeroom  and  haul 
out  some  bacon  ?  That's  what  he  means.  Quick  ! 
bestir  yourself  whether  you  can  or  not,  and  heave  it 
over  at  the  stern  !  That  will  draw  them  sea-wolves 
away  from  him  !  Quick,  now !  he  can't  last  there 
much  longer  !  " 

At  the  repeated  splashings  of  the  great  pieces  of 
pork,  the  attention  of  the  sharks  was  drawn,  and  all 
but  the  desperately  wounded  ones  swam  in  that 
direction  ;  all  but  one  which  refused  to  leave,  and  at 
him,  as  his  head  appeared  above  the  surface,  Don 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


Pedro  darted  a  savage  and  despairing  blow.  The 
knife  struck  deep,  stuck  fast,  and,  in  his  efforts  to 
withdraw  it,  Don  Pedro  fell  into  the  seething  waves. 
This  was  John's  opportunity.  In  an  instant  he 
was  in  the  place  just  occupied  by  the  Mexican,  and 
reaching  him  the  rope.  Don  Pedro  was  no  slow- 
thoughted,  unwieldy  Tom.  In  a  flash  he  grasped  it, 
running  his  arm  through  the  noose 
getting  a  firm  grip  on  it,  and  the  mate 
at  the  other  end  drew  in  with  a  will. 
But  now  it  appeared  that  the  obstinate 
Mexican  had  refused  to  let  go  his  hold 
on  the  knife,  and  what  with  his  weight 
and  the  struggle  of  the  shark,  the  mate 
could  make  but  slow  headway.  He 


THE   SHARK   MAKES   A   STRANGE    REV- 
ELATION. 


got  him  at  last  to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  but  that  was 
all  he  could  do.  John  had  crept  up  the  cable,  and 
now  as  he  struck  deck,  he  lent  a  hand  ;  but  together, 
they  could  not  raise  the  combined  weight  of  the  fish- 
erman and  the  shark. 

"Le' go  that  knife  !"  howled  the  mate  ;  "here  come 


the  rest  of   the   sharks,  and  in  two  minutes  they'll 
make  mince-meat  of  ye  !     Le'  go,  I  say;  le'  go!  " 

With  a  groan,  Don  Pedro  loosed  his  hold  on  the 
knife,  and  they  had  him  out  of  the  water ;  and  not 
a  second  too  soon  either,  for  the  channel  was  fairly 
seething  with  sharks. 

"  Look  at  the  beggars  !  "  cried  the  mate  in  mingled 
wrath  and  disgust,  as  they  landed  Don 
Pedro  on  deck.  "  I  can  count  more'n 
forty  fins  cuttin'  the  water  there.  Well, 
old  fellow,  how  d'ye  feel  ?  " 

"  Mi  cuchillo,  y  mi  pistole  !  —  oh,  my 
knife  and  my  pistol ! "  groaned  the 
fisherman  :  "  I've  lost  them  both." 

"Well,  yes,  I  sh'd  say  you  had; 
but  don't  mind  that,  we've  enough 
aboard  here,"  answered  the  mate,  shak- 
ing off  his  fatigue  with  a  shrug  and  a 
smile.  "And  now  is  not  this  a  merry-go-round  !  fust 
Don  Pedro  rescoos  John,  then  he  saves  Tom,  and  then 
John  saves  Don  Pedro,  and  then  I  save  the  lot  of  ye; 
all  it  lacks  is,  I  should  fall  overboard  and  the  rest  of 
ye  turn  to  and  rescoo  me ;  an'  I  ain't  so  sure,  Mr.  Peter 
Pinto,  that  your  knife's  gone  either;  they  say  that 
nothin'  ain't  lost  when  you  know  where  'tis,  and 
there's  your  knife  a-held  into  that  shark's  jaws.  II 
I  had  a  harpoon  now,  I'd  soon  have  him  on  deck, 
knife  an'  all.  Tom,  don't  you  know  -where  there's  a 
harpoon,  or  grains,  or  somethin'  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  where  nothin'  is,  and  don't  care," 
said  Tom  feebly :  "  but  I  believe  there's  one  in  the 
cap'n's  room  all  rigged,  with  a  line  on  it." 

The  mate  went  into  the  cabin,  and  soon  came  out 
with  a  harpoon.  Lashing  one  end  of  the  rope  to  the 
taffrail,  rigging  a  block,  and  then  running  a  line 
to  the  stump  of  the  mainmast,  he  announced  himself 
ready  for  business.  Don  Pedro's  shark  lay  on  his 
side  stone  dead,  and  of  course  immovable,  except  when 
his  brethren  dashed  to  take  a  mouthful ;  and  he  offered 
a  fair  mark  for  the  harpoon.  "There  she  is,  my 
hearties !  now  pull  away,"  cried  the  mate. 

All  tumbled  to  with  a  will  except  Tom,  and  the 
shark  was  soon  stretched  on  deck,  the  handle  of 
Don  Pedro's  knife  still  protruding  from  his  under 
jaw. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  state  for  the  information  of 
those  who  have  never  closely  examined  a  shark,  that* 
his  mouth  being  underneath,  he  must  turn  over  upon 
his  back  before  he  can  bite.  This  shark  evidently 
was  just  turning  over  when  the  fatal  stroke  pierced 


i8 


THE    SILVER     CITY. 


the  brain  from  the  inside.  But  for  this  lucky  blow, 
Don  Pedro  might  have  been  badly  torn  by  the 
wounded  fish  when  he  fell. 

"  Well !  "  exclaimed  the  mate  as  he  vainly  tried  to 
pull  out  the  knife,  "  what  a  tremenjus  muscle  you 
must  have,  Mr.  Mexican  !  I  can't  even  start  that 
knife  !  " 

But  at  last  with  an  axe  from  the  after-hold,  they 
cleft  the  stout  skull,  and  Don  Pedro  drew  forth  his 
precious  knife  and  replaced  it  in  his  scabbard. 

"  Now  if  you  had  your  revolver  you'd  be  happy, 
wouldn't  ye  ? "  said  the  mate  kindly  as  to  a  child. 
"  Well,  we'll  have  to  find  a  better  one  for  ye  some- 
where amongst  the  cap'n's  things  !  Now  le's  dis- 
sect this  chap  and  see  what  he's  swallowed  sence 
he's  been  cruising  round  these  waters;  they  say 
sharks  sometimes  swallow  strange  objects." 

Don  Pedro  drew  his  knife  with  a  will  and  plunged 
it  deep,  intending  to  lay  the  shark  entirely  open.  It 
struck  something  hard.  He  drew  it  forth  with  a 
great  gap  in  its  bright  blade. 

"  Must  be  a  harpoon,"  observed  the  mate,  "  or 
somethin'." 

With  an  exclamation  of  astonishment,  Don  Pedro 
drew  forth  the  object  that  the  knife  had  struck.  He 
looked  at  it  with  amazement. 

"  Jumping  grasshoppers  !  if  that  ain't  a  pistol," 
cried  the  mate,  coming  up  and  looking  over  his 
shoulder. 

"  Es  tnio,"  gasped  Don  Pedro.     "It  is  mine." 

"  So  'tis  !  the  same  identical  weepin  you  saved 
Tom's  life  with!  Carve  away,  and  le's  see  what 
else  the  rascal's  stowed  away !  " 

The  carving  brought  to  light  a  rather  miscel- 
laneous assortment  of  hardware — a  condensed  milk 
can,  a  reeving  block,  and  a  small  tin  box  which  had 
been  so  long  in  the  interior  of  the  shark  as  to 
be  completely  encysted,  or  enclosed,  in  a  sack  of 
skin. 

"  A  regular  swimmin'  curios'ty  shop,"  commented 
the  mate  ;  "  they  do  says  a  ostrich'll  swaller  anything, 
and  grow  fat  on  board  nails  and  gimlets ;  but  a  shark 
'11  just  beat  him,  it  seems  !  Open  the  box,  John,  and 
le's  see  what's  in  that !  " 

They  pried  the  cover  off,  and  disclosed  a  wad  of 
oiled  paper,  or  silk.  Separating  this,  they  found  a 
roll  of  brown,  time-discolored  paper. 

"  That  all  ? "  cried  the  mate.  "  Thought  it  was 
a  wad  of  bank  bills,  sure  !  Overboard  with  it!  " 

"  Wait ! "  cried  John,  arresting  his  arm.  "  Don't  you 


see  what  that  is  ?  It's  worth  more  to  me  than  all  tht 
money  aboard 7  Read  it !  " 

The  mate  carefully  spread  out  the  paper.  It 
proved  to  be  two  leaves  from  some  old  book.  "Well," 
said  he,  "  there  it  is,  all  before  you,  and  the  title  at 
the  head  of  the  page  is,  The  Con  —  The  Conquest  of 
Mexico.  Don't  see  nothin'  startlin'  in  that !  What 
different  do  you  see,  my  young  friend  ?  " 

John  stood  staring  at  the  paper.  His  thoughts 
were  travelling  back  to  the  farmhouse  garret  two 
thousand  miles  away.  By  a  great  effort,  he  recalled 
himself.  His  voice  was  hoarse  as  he  reached  for  the 


"IT   CANNOT   BE   FOR    NOTHING  AT   ALL,"   SAID  JOHN. 

paper.  "Mate,  that  belongs  to  me.  It  is  my  lost 
clue!" 

"  Belongs  to  you,  does  it  ?  Well,  you  can  have  it,  of 
course;  but  what  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Without  answer,  John  took  the  lantern  and  went  to 
his  chest,  followed  by  the  curious  mate.  He  drew 
out  an  old  book  bound  in  parchment.  Opening  it  at 
a  certain  place  he  said,  "  Mate,  can  you  make  out  the 
numbers  on  those  pages  we  have  just  found  ?  " 

"The  first  one's  numbered  two  hundred  and 
twenty-seven,  and  the  last  two  hundred  and  thirty." 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


"  Now  look  in  this  book,  and  tell  me  what  are  the 
two  pages  lying  open  before  you." 

•'Two  hundred  and  twenty-six  and  two  hundred 
and  thirty-one,"  said  the  mate  ;  "  seems  to  be  two 
leaves  missing." 

"Exactly;  and  those  two  leaves  you  have  in  your 
hand." 

The  mate  gave  a  long,  expressive  whistle.  "  That's 
a  fact !  the  same  title  on  to  the  pages,  and  the  very 
numbers  that  air  missing  !  John,  how  comes  it  ?  " 

"Ah,  mate,  I  would  give  the  world  to  know  for  cer- 
tain," said  John  wearily,  pressing  his  brow  with  both 
hands.  "  These  two  leaves  are  the  last  clue  to  the 
location  of  the  Silver  City.  They  were  missing  from 
my  book.  Just  where  the  description  of-  the  city 
.should  come  in,  there  was  this  gap.  Now  I  can  trace 
my  way ;  but  oh,  to  solve  the  deeper  mystery  —  how 
these  two  leaves  drifted  from  New  England  down 
upon  this  coast !  " 

"  I  know  what  you're  thinkin'  of,"  said  the  mate 
"kindly  ;  "  that  story  the  cap'n  told  you  about  the  old 
sea-feller  lost  down  here  about  ten  years  ago,  and 
who  you  thought  might  be  your  father." 

"  But  you  know  I  am  not  sure  that  he  was  lost," 
said  John  firmly.  "  Even  in  a  shipwreck,  why  not  he 
be  rescued  as  miraculously  as  I  ?  How  do  I  know 
that  he  has  not  penetrated  the  interior,  and  is  alive 
somewhere  this  moment  ?  Answer  me  that !  You 
know  no  one  else  could  have  brought  hither  leaves 
from  my  book,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  And  you  think  it  likely  the  fish  has  carried  that 
air  tin  box  in  his  stummick  for  ten  years  —  'twould  a 
given  him  the  dyspepsy,  John  !  But  I'm  not  goin' 
to  take  the  hope  out  of  ye.  I'll  just  set  ye  right,  and 
mebbe  give  ye  more  hope.  This  shark  might  have 
carried  the  box  six  months  or  a  year  —  that  ain't 
,  nothin'  unnateral.  So  it's  my  opinion  your  father 
didn't  carry  it  in  his  pocket  before  the  accident,  but 
in  his  chist,  or  on  a  shelf  in  his  cabin.  Now,  what's 
the  inference  from  this?  Why,  jist  this;  That  we 
have  here  a  sartin  proof  that  somebody  was  wrecked 
down. here  who  had  read  your  book,  and  took  out 
them  leaves  for  a  purpose;  second,  that  it's  more 
than  likely  that  person  was  your  father ;  third,  that 
the  findin'  it  here  ain't  no  proof  positive  that  he's 
drowned  ;  fourth,  it  is  likely  that  this  tin  box  sot  in 
the  cabin  somewhere,  and  was  washed  overboard 
when  the  vesssl  broke  up,  and  that  might  a-been  at 
the  time  of  the  wreck,  but  was  most  likely  a  good 
many  years  after.  But  we  can't  place  no  where- 


abouts. Sharks  is  a  wanderin'  animal  ;  they  don't 
allers  cruise  in  the  same  place ;  and  then  again,  the 
currents  might  a-drifted  the  box  for  a  hundred  miles 
or  more.  Lookin'  at  it  this  way,  I  should  say  that 
this  ere  box  come  from  somewhere  south  o'  here. 
Further  than  this  I  can't  say ;  but  we  can  ask  Don 
Pedro  about  it  to-morrer.  He's  likely  to  know  all 
the  wrecks  on  the  whole  east  coast.  Not  to-night ; 
you're  all  played  out.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  this 
excitement,  you  couldn't  kept  up  as  you  have." 

John  acquiesced;  he  was  indeed  weak,  and  was 
trembling  now  from  his  shipwreck  and  from  the 
excitement,  of  the  afternoon. 

By  the  time  the  deck  had  been  washed  off,  blankets 
spread,  and  a  sail  stretched  over,  it  was  late  into  the 
night.  But  John  could  not  sleep.  After  the  others 
had  dropped  off,  he  rose  and  went  to  the  rail.  The 
moon  was  sailing  grandly  up  the  sky,  stretching  a 
pathway  of  light  across  the  still  sea,  and  bringing 
into  relief  the  black  wall  of  forest  on  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  island. 

No  life  was  stirring  except  for  a  black  fin  cleaving 
the  channel  beneath  ;  and  no  sound  broke  the  quiet 
except  the  roar  of  the  breakers  outside  the  reef.  A 
great  surge  of  homesickness  swept  over  the  young 
adventurer  on  the  wreck.  The  quiet  security  of  the 
old  New  England  farm  sleeping  in  the  moonlight, 
seemed  too  precious  a  possession  to  have  been  so  reck- 
lessly abandoned.  But  presently  the  old  inbred  New 
England  belief  in  "  leadings  of  Providence,"  got  the 
better  of  this  tender  longing  for  the  peaceful  shelter 
of  the  roof-tree.  What  a  miraculous  shipwreck ! 
What  a  miraculous  restoration  of  the  missing  leaves 
of  the  old  Spanish  book  —  the  clue-leaves.  He  took 
out  the  old,  discolored  worn  pages  and  looked  at 
them  tenderly.  But  it  was  his  father,  not  the  treasure 
city,  which  was  .uppermost  in  John's  thoughts  and 
plans.  "It  cannot  be  for  nothing  at  all!"  said 
John  with  reverent  firmness.  "God  would  not  so 
play  at  fast-and-loose  with  poor  mother.  If  I  live,  I 
know  that  I  am  to  find  father  before  I  go  back." 

John  really  felt  most  satisfactorily  certain  of  this ; 
and  presently,  feeling  he  could  best  help  affairs  by 
laying  in  a  stock  of  sleep  and  rest,  he  returned  to  his 
rough  bed  under  the  sail. 

It  was  early  morning,  the  moon  still  hanging  above 
the  island  forest,  when  the  mate  woke  them  all,  and 
laid  before  them  the  work  he  had  planned  for  the 
day. 

"  I  reckon,"  said  he,  as  they  ate  breakfast,  "  that 


20 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


it'll  take  jest  about  a  day  to  git  out  all  of  value  in 
the  Diver,  and  house  it  on  the  beach  there  above 
the  coral." 

After  breakfast  they  set  at  work  with  a  real  Family 
Robinson  vim.  From  the  shocks  and  staves  in  the 
hold,  and  some  pieces  of  timber,  they  made  a  raft 
much  as  Tom  and  the  mate  had  originally  planned, 
and  let  it  down  into  the  water,  which  served  them 
much  better  than  the  cable  bridge  of  yesterday.  A 
rope  was  rigged  so  that  they  could  draw  it  from  vessel 
to  shore,  and  back  again ;  then  it  was  loaded  with 
provisions  and  valuables,  and  drawn  over  and  un- 


after  the  moonlight  burial  of  poor  Jack  Rawlins  was, 
that  they  should  return  with  him  through  the  woods 
to  his  home  cabin  which  was  larger  and  more  com- 
fortable than  this  wrecking  hut,  where,  in  fact,  there 
was  no  room  at  all  inside,  it  being  so  full  of  the 
effects  from  the  vessel,  that  they  would  be  obliged  to 
sleep  on  the  sand  under  a  sail. 

Tired  as  they  were,  and  late  as  it  was,  they  agreed 
to  this,  and  at  once  prepared  for  the  two-mile  tramp 
through  the  forest. 

"  Dunno  but  it's  a  resky  thing,"  said  the  mate  aside 
to  John.  "  The  Mexican  says  nobody  ever  comes 


IN    COUNCIL. 


loaded  on  the  coral  rock.  It  was  slow  work,  and  hard 
work ;  but  by  noon  they  had  the  ship's  stores  piled 
upon  tjje  rocks  ;  and  during  the  afternoon,  managed 
to  get  most  of  it  to  the  sand  beach  and  into  Don  Pe- 
dro's wrecking  camp. 

"  Anyhow,"  said  Tom,  who  was  fast  getting  his  tone 
again,  "  we've  an  island,  and  a  vessel,  and  a  year's 
provisions,  to  begin  life  with.  We  aren't  quite 
orphans." 

The  mate  and  Don  Pedro  understood  each  other's 
queer  Spanish-English  fairly  well,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Don  Pedro  should  be  their  guide  and  chief 
while  they  remained  on  the  island ;  and  his  first  order 


round  here  except  himself,  but  between  you  and  me, 
John,  there's  some  valooables  here.  Did  you  mind 
that  small  box  I  was  keerful  to  carry  myself  all  the 
way  to  shore  ?  Well,  there^s  over  two  thousand  dol- 
lars in  it  in  gold  belongin'  to  the  owners  of  the  Diver, 
that  cap'n  brung  with  him  to  buy  sugar  with  and 
sich.  Now  wouldn't  ye  meditate  a  spell  before  ye  let 
on  to  the  Mexican  there's  that  amount  o'  gold  a-lyin' 
about  ? " 

John  agreed  that  it  would  do  no  harm  to 
"  meditate  "  first,  and  concluded  to  leave  his  own  In- 
stitute money  along  with  the  Diver  gold,  in  the  soli- 
tude of  the  wrecking  cabin,  though  in  his  heart  h» 


THE     S IL  VER     CIT  Y. 


21 


THROUGH    THE   TREE-TOPS. 


felt  a  warm  impulsive  trust   in   the   old   fisherman. 

Don  Pedro  led  the  way  over  the  path  he  and  John 

had  followed  the  day  before.    There  was  no  necessity 

for  cutting  away  vines 
and  bushes  now ;  still 
the  trail  was  so  obscure, 
they  were  obliged  to  fol- 
low their  guide  single 
file. 

"  Kinder  pokerish," 
said  Tom,  who  waddled 
along  close  behind  Don 
Pedro's  heels.  "And  kin- 
der pleasant  too !  Mighty 
nice  air!  Seems  like 

somebody'd  bust  a  barrel  of  cologne  water  all 
over  the  ground !  Rather  a  fine  thing  this,  John, 
eh?" 

But  John  was  occupied  with  the  weird  effects  pro- 
duced by  the  moonlight  as  it  struggled  through  the 
trees  and  vines  above  their  heads.  Only  now  and 
then  did  a  beam  penetrate  so  far  as  the  path,  or 
glance  athwart  the  gloomy  space  before  them  ;  but 
overhead  there  was  an  indescribable  fretwork  of  ebony 
and  silver.  Where  the  light  did  pierce  so,  it  trans- 
formed everything  —  leaves,  vines,  plants — into  gro- 
tesque images  of  beasts  and  reptiles.  A  great  vine 
stretching  across  their  path,  and  doubling  upon  itself 
in  numerous  folds,  seemed  a  great  boa  constrictor 


waiting  motionless  for  them  to  approach.  Dark 
forms  appeared  to  lurk  in  the  shade  only  to  skulk 
off  silently  as  they  came  near.  Real  bats  and  owls 
softly  fluttered  above  their  heads,  and  myriads  of 
night  insects  kept  up  so  dense  a  noise  they  could 
scarcely  hear  one  another  speak. 

They  had  made  more  than  half  the  distance,  and 
were  passing  through  a  particularly  lonely  spot,  when 
Tom  broke  the  silence  again.  He  too  had  become 
wrapt  in  watching  the  transformed  shapes  of  trees  and 
vines,  and  the  resemblance  some  of  the  leaves  bore  to 
spiders  and  lizards. 

"  Look,  John  !  "  cried  he,  pointing  to  a  bright  9pot 
in  the  gloom.  "  Don't  that  leaf  there  look  like  a  big 
spider?  I'm  going  to  pull  it  off  and  take  it  along,  and 
see  how  it  looks  by  daylight." 

As  he  spoke,  he  reached  out  to  seize  it.  The  leaf 
darted  forward  to  meet  him,  and  he  cried  out  sud- 
denly in  great  pain  : 

"  Oh,  I'm  bitten  !     That  was  a  spider  !  " 

Don  Pedro  sprang  back.  He  drew  Tom  into  the 
moonlight,  and  examined  his  thumb.  It  was  swelling, 
and  the  boy  was  already  in  great  anguish.  He  shook 
his  head,  and  taking  Tom  by  the  arm,  hurried  him 
along. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  demanded  John  and  the  mate. 

"  A  mi  casa/"  said  he  ;  "  to  my  house  at  once  !  It 
was  a  tarantula  !  " 


22 


I' HE    SILVER    CITY. 


THE     CAMP     ON     COZUMEL. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


URIED  beneath  groups  of 
cocoa  palms  stood  the 
cabin  of  Don  Pedro, 
silent  and  secure  as  he 
had  left  it  two  days 
before. 

The  party  emerged 
from  the  darkness  of 
the  forest,  crossed  the 
glade  flooded  by  the  moonlight,  and  plunged  under 
the  dimly-lighted  arches  of  the  palm  crowns.  With 
a  mighty  kick  Don  Pedro  hastily  burst  open  the 
loosely-secured  door  and  dragged  Tom  in.  Seating 
him  on  a  heap  of  turtle  nets  in  the  corner,  he  has- 
tened behind  the  grass  matting  partition,  and  after 
searching  a  minute,  came  out  with  a  tiny  bottle  and 
glass.  Pouring  out  a  few  drops  of  the  liquid,  he 
handed  it  to  the  boy,  motioning  him  to  drink.  Tom 
did  so ;  but  immediately  his  whole  body  seemed  to  be 
on  fire,  and  he  shouted  for  water. 
'  But  Don  Pedro  motioned  his  friends  impa- 
tiently aside.  He  saturated  a  strip  of  cloth  in 
the  same  liquid,  wrapped  it  about  the  swollen  thumb, 
repeatedly  moistening  it.  It  was  some  time 
before  he  gave  him  water;  but  at  last,  looking  into 
his  eyes,  he  nodded  hopefully  and  allowed  John  to 
place  the  waiting  draught  to  his  lips.  Then  he  laid 
his  patient  upon  a  bed  of  turtle  nets,  and  covered 
him  with  a  blanket,  and  bade  him  sleep. 

Don  Pedro  then  lighted  a  candle,  and  beckoning 
the  men,  held  up  the  bottle  to  the  light.  They 
started  back  with  exclamations  of  disgust,  for  it  con- 
tained nothing  less  than  a  huge  spider — a  tarantula 
—  "pickled,"  as  the  mate  expressed  it,  in  brandy. 

"And  is  that  what  you  have  given  Tom  to  take?" 
demanded  John. 

"6V,"  (yes,)  answered  Don  Pedro  calmly.  He 
explained  that  it  was  an  infallible  cure,  and  in  com- 
mon use  in  the  tropics. 

Don  Pedro  shrugged  his  shoulders  as  much  as  to 
say  that  the  mate  could  do  as  he  pleased,  but  he 


would  rather  take  spider,  bottle  and  all,  than  be  bit- 
ten in  the  forest  without  his  favorite  remedy  handy. 

He  dismissed  the  affair  by  reaching  up  to  a  smoke- 
blackened  rafter  and  untying  a  string,  thus  letting 
down  two  hammocks  suspended  side  by  side  from 
the  corner  of  the  room. 

"Todos  son  tmty  a  son  dispositions,  senores?"  said 
he,' bowing,  and  gracefully  waving  his  hand  to  include 
everything  there  was  in  the  cabin. 

"  What  does  he  say,  mate  ? "  asked  John,  yet  half 
interpreting  their  host's  hospitable  meaning  by  his 
sweeping  gestures. 

"  Well,  that's  a  little  too  long  for  me  to  take  in  all 
at  once,"  replied  th,e  mate  pondering. 

"  Oh,  I've  got  it !  He  says  that  his  house  and  all 
there  is  in  it  is  ours  s'long's  we  want  to  stay.  All 
these  Mexicans  say  that,  but  I  can  tell  you  they.don't 
always  mean  it,  by  a  long  chalk ;  but  let  me  tell  you 
again,  our  friend  here  does,  I'll  bet  a  dollar.  Thank 
you,  Don  Peter;  much  obliged.  Don't  put  yourself 
out  a  mite,  but  jest  make  us  one  of  the  folks.  Shall 
we  take  the  hammocks  or  the  bench  ?  " 

" Donde  ustades  quieren"  (where  you  please),  said 
Pedro,  smiling.  So  they  took  the  hammocks,  into 
which  had  been  thrown  a  couple  of  handsome  Indian 
blankets,  the  mate  remarking  as  they  stowed  them- 
selves away: 

"John,  this  interpritation  business  is  gittin'  too 
heavy  for  me.  I  can  understand  the  ord'nary  sailor 
Spanish,  but  when  he  comes  any  of  the  fancy  dodges, 
sich  as  the  different  tenses  of  them  verbs,  and  the 
singular  and  plural  numbers,  et  cetery,  blowed  if  I 
ain't  all  to  sea.  You're  quick  at  book  larnin';  can't 
you  come  to  the  rescoo?" 

John  laughed.  "  I  have  studied  Spanish  at  home 
from  a  book  evenings,"  said  he;  "but  it  is  so  different 
when  you  come  to  hear  it  spoken,  that  I  don't  recog- 
nize many  of  the  words  yet.  However,  to-morrow 
I'll  get  out  my  conversation  book  and  try  it  on  a  new 
plan." 

The  last  one  to  wag  his  tongue  at  night,  the  mate 
was  the  first  to  break  silence  next  morning:  "Hullo! 
Tumble  out,  youngsters !  sun's  up ;  leastwise,  though 
they  ain't  no  winders  in  this  hut,  it's  streamin'  through 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


23 


a  chink  there.  Ain't  it  cold  ?  Thought  this  was  a 
hot  country !  'Cording  to  the  charts,  we're  in  the  trop- 
ics; but  a  blanket  wa'n't  any  too  much  last  night." 

John  and  Tom  were  awakened  by  this  time,  and 
the  latter  stretched  himself  and  rolled  over  on  the 


DON  PEDRO  CAME  OUT  WITH  A  TINY  BOTTLE. 

clay  floor,  where  he  lay  on  his  back  looking  up  with 
surprise  until  the  voice  of  his  superior  officer  called 
out: 

"How's  your  thumb?" 

"Oh,  yes;  here  I  am!  I  thought  I  was,  but  didn't 
know  but  I  was  a-dreamin'  yet.  A  shipwreck  an'  a 
pair  of  rescues;  first  from  a  shark's  jaws  and  second 
from  a  spider's  jaws.  Oh,  yes;  I'm  the  feller,  and 
here  I  am,  thumb  all  right !  Isn't  this  prime  though  ? " 
By  this  time  Tom  was  taking  an  observation  through 
a  big  chink  in  the  walls  of  the  cabin.  "A  breakfast 
a-getting  ready  with  none  o'  my  help;  a-growin'  as 
'twere,  out  o'  doors  its  own  self;  leastwise  here's  Don 
Pedro  out  here  with  a  pot  a-bilin'  over  a  blazin'  fire 
under  a  cocoanut-tree.  I  say  this  is  fun  alive !  A 
whole  island  all  to  ourselves,  fish  and  turtle  in  the 
sea,  and  game  a-roamin'  in  the  woods!  So,  boys,  I'm 
goin'  to  consider  myself  fixed  for  life,  if  Don  Peter's 
no  objection  to  the  same!  " 


"Now  see  here,"  said  Mr.  Walker,  "don't  you  go 
to  kitin'  about  here  as  if  the  whole  hut  belonged  to 
you,  and  the  island  thrown  in !  Don  Pedro's  a  polite 
man,  an'  it's  my  intention  he  shall  have  politeness  in 
return.  I  know  you  mean  well,  Tom,  but  your  man* 
ners  ain't  always  agreeable ;  and  it  kinder  reflects  on 
the  place  where  you's  born  and  brought  up,  and  on 
me  as  comin'  from  the  same  town." 

"  Brought  up ! "  cried  Tom,  turning  on  him.  "  Yes ! 
I  had  a  lot  of  bringing  up,  didn't  I?  Brought  up 
with  a  round  turn  by  the  ear,  that's  the  only  kind  I 
had;  and  cuffed  about  ever  sence  I  can  remember, 
till  I  took  up  maratime  cookery  as  'twere.  That's 
what's  soured  my  temper,  gentlemen  !  " 

Tom  grimaced  so  comically  that  all  burst  into  a 
hearty  laugh,  including  the  Mexican  who  just  then 
entered  to  invite  them  to  a  breakfast  of  fish  and  tur- 
tle steak.  As  they  ate  they  planned  the  work  for  the 
day :  the  mate  and  Don  Pedro  to  go  around  by  the 
inland  channel  in  the  long-boat,  and  bring  over  the 
valuables,  the  boys  to  remain  at  the  lake  cabin  to  get 
thoroughly  rested  for  the  morrow,  when  the  Mexican 
was  to  take  them  over  the  island  and  show  them  the 
extent  of  the  domain  he  now  very  politely  offered  to 
share  with  them  for  life. 

"Ain't  he  the  cleverest  feller  you  ever  met  in  your 
life? "said  Tom,  as  the  boat  containing  Don  Pedro 
and  the  mate  disappeared  around  the  rocks  that  hid 
the  channel  to  the  sea.  "  He  ain't  at  all  that  sassy 
sombrero  kind  o'  Mexican  you  meet  in  your  books. 
You  feels  like  he  was  your  father  or  your  uncle.  I'm 
going  to  stay." 

John  did  not  make  his  intentions  known.  He 
felt  it  no  harm  to  give  himself  up  for  one  day  to  the 
romance  of  the  situation. 

All  that  day  till  late  in  the  afternoon  the  boys 
lounged  about  the  cabin 
under  the  palm-trees. 
They  got  out  the  ham- 
mocks from  inside,  and 
swinging  them  between 
the  trees,  lay  there  in 
perfect  content  and  rest- 
fulness,  drinking  cocoa- 
nut  water  from  the  nuts 

they  knocked  off  of  the  palms,  and  feasting  on  deli- 
cious fish  they  broiled  on  the  coals  in  the  open  air. 

When  the  boat  returned  it  was  loaded  deep,  and 

they  turned  to  with  a  will  to  carry  its  contents  up  to 

end  of  the  long  thatched  hut  had 


A   FOOD   SUPPLY. 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


stone  walls,  and  was  used  by  Don  Pedro  as  a  store 
room ;  it  had  a  clay  floor  hard  as  cement,  and  as  the 
roof  was  tight,  it  was  an  excellent  place  to  store  the 
ship's  provisions. 

"Enough  here  to  last  us  a  year!"  said  the  mate  as 
the  final  barrel  was  rolled  inside ;  "  that  is, what  we  have 
here  and  at  the  other  hut.  All  the  chists  and  articles 
of  value  air  here.  Here's  your  chist,  John,  and  you 
better  git  that  Spanish  book  and 
larn  a  lesson  to  once,  for  this 
talkin'  a  language  you  don't 
know  nothing  about'll  be  the 
death  of  me.  You  jest  throw 
yourself  into  it." 

John  did  "  throw  himself  into 
it."  Don  Pedro  signified  his 
willingness  to  become  both 
teacher  and  scholar,  and  the 
whole  party  grew  to  understand  one  another  more 
readily  every  day ;  the  book  was  rarely  out  of  hands, 
and  the  mate,  as  he  remarked,  "  Jest  wrastled  with 
them  Spanish  verbs  till  he  was  blue  in  the  face." 

Another  boatload  in  the  afternoon  about  com- 
pleted the  transportation  of  their  goods,  except  some 
of  the  heaviest  of  the  stores,  some  barrels  of  beef 
and  pork,  which  they  thought  could  be  left  with 
safety,  along  with  anchors,  ropes,  cables,  etc.,  that 
they  had  no  present  use  for. 

"I  tell  ye,  boys,"  said  the  mate,  as  he  stretched 
himself  in  the  hammock  while  Don  Pedro  prepared 
supper — the  Mexican  declared  they  were  his  guests 
for  that  day — to-morrow  they  would  begin  to  "have 
things  in  common,"  work  and  all  —  "it  kind  o' 
made  me  feel  bad  to  leave  the  old  Diver  a  standin' 
there  all  dismantled  on  the  rocks,  so  lonesome  like, 
and  'specially  when  I  thought  of  the  cap'n  and  all 
our  old  neighbors — the  crew  as  now  lays  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  And  le'  me  tell  you,  if  we  could  only  get 
that  vessel  off  to  Cuby,  there'd  be  more'n  a  thousan' 
dollars  comin'  to  us  from  the  cargo  alone,  settin'  aside 
what  the  underwriters'd  give  us  for  savin'  her  hull ; 
but  of  course  she  won't  stan'  it  long,  and  the  fust 
gale'll  be  likely  to  damage  her  some,  if  not  split  her 
up." 

They  all  felt  "  lonesome  like  "  that  evening.  They 
sat  around  the  bright  out-door  fire  in  silence.  Even 
the  jolly  Tom  whittled  away  in  absolute  dumbness. 
The  Mexican  respected  their  mood,  and  smoked  his 
pipe  like  a  statue.  The  mate  spoke  at  last.  He 
seemed  to  have  prepared  a  speech. 


"  Boys  !  "  he  began  argumentative!}',  "  there  ain't 
no  disguisin'  the  fact  that  we're  on  a  island.  We 
ain't  got  to  climb  no  hill  and  look  about,  as  Robinson 
Crusoe  did,  to  find  that  out.  And  this  island's  off 
the  coast  of  Yucatan ;  and  Seenor  Don  Pedro  Pinto, 
who  found  this  island  uninhabited,  and  consequently 
owns  it,  places  it  all  at  our  disposal.  There  ain't  no 
nonsense  about  the  Don  ;  he  means  it.  Me  and  him 
talked  the  matter  over  this  forenoon,  and 
we  come  to  the  conclusion  to  up  and  divide 
fair  and  square  —  his  with  us  and  ours  with 
him.  They's  four  of  us,  and  each  will  be 
entitled  to  one  fourth  part  of  the  plunder 
on  the  island,  and  these  ere  huts  and  boats 
while  we  chooses  to  stay ;  and  then  we  agreed 


DON  PEDRO'S  TREASURE-PIT. 

to  make  common  property  of  everything,  and  not  have 
no  yourn  nor  mine  about  it,  except  that  every  man 
keeps  his  own  private  property,  of  course.  Ain't 
that  so,  Seenor  ?  " 

Don  Pedro  removed  his  pipe,  and  gravely  nodded 
assent,  then  went  on  calmly  smoking. 

"  I've  explained  to  him  jest  how  we're  sitooated  ; 
that  in  the  course  of  time  I  ought  to  take  the 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


25 


first  vessel  home,  being  bound  to  render  an  account 
to  the  owners  of  the  Diver,  an'  that  you,  John,  in 
the  course  of  time  would  feel  obliged  to  prosecoot 
that  little  matter  about  your  father's  absence ;  and 
that  you,  Tom,  also  in  the  course  of  time  would 
go  'long  home  with  me." 

"  You  may  jest  bet  your  boots  Tom  won't  do 
no  such  thing,"  broke  in  that  gentleman.  "  I'm  on 
this  island,  and  I'm  goin'  to  stick  here,  too,  for  I 
ain't  got  any  home  to  go  to.  My  home  in  futur'  is 
on  my  one  fourth." 

"  But,"  continued  the  mate,  undisturbed,  "  Don 
Pedro  and  me  after  this  talk  kind  o'  concluded  we 
would  "  — 

"  Would  what  ?  "  asked  John,  as  the*  mate  paused. 

"  Well,"  went  on  the  mate,  "  when  I  told  Don 
Pedro  as  how  you'd  a  notion  you'd  got  a  parint  layin' 
round  loose  somewher'n  this  wilderness,  he  felt  sum- 
mat  cut  up.  It  seems  he  looked  on  you  as  his 
property ;  bein'  as  the  sea  had  gi'n  you  to  him,  and  a 
lot  o'  talk  of  that  kind." 

"  Oh  ! "  interrupted  Tom,  "  if  he's  a  lookin'  for 
a  son  he  might  adopt  me.  I'd  be  a  dutiful  son. 
Come  now,  why  not?  You  just  put  it  afoot  if  he 
says  any  more  about  wantin'  a  son.  I'm  as  much 
cast  up  by  the  sea  as  John." 

"  But,"  continued  the  mate,  "  when  I  mentioned 
that  John  wanted  to  find  his  father,  and  had  partic- 
ulars about  the  book,  et  cetery,  he  said  he  prob'ly 
knowed  where  the  wreck  was,  and  he'd  pilot  us 
there.  He  says  'tain't  only  a  day's  run  below 
here,  and  soon's  we've  been  over  the  island  we'll 
fit  up  the  long-boat  and  take  the  cruise." 

John  was  listening  with  a  pale  face. 

"Did  he  know  anything  about  the  crew  of  the 
vessel,  Mr.  Walker  ? "  he  asked  now  in  a  husky  tone. 

"  He  knows  more'n  he's  willin'  to  communicate. 
We  must  wait.  He's  too  polite  a  man  for  us  to 'urge 
much.  I  made  him  my  best  bow,  and  said,  '  Ef  you 
please,  Senor,'  which  was  as  good  as  anything  under 
the  circumstances." 

It  was  late  that  night  before  they  turned  in,  and 
John  thought  he  could  not  have  been  more  than  two 
hours  asleep  when  the  mate  awoke  him  and  gently 
drew  him  out  of  the  hammock  into  the  open  air. 
There  he  saw  Don  Pedro  standing  behind  a  box, 
a  machete  in  his  hand.  He  motioned  them  to  follow, 
and  the  mate  picked  up  the  box,  and  John  went 
after  as  in  a  dream. 

The    Mexican    opened    a    way   with    the    machete 


through  the  thick  underbrush  on  the  edge  of  the 
forest,  and  they  soon  reached  a  glade  enclosed 
by  a  ring  of  immense  old  trees.  By  the  moonlight 
they  saw  a  mound  in  the  centre  with  white  stones 
gleaming  up  through  a  tangled  mass  of  vines  and 
bushes.  Cautiously  parting  this,  Don  Pedro  entered 
a  low  doorway  in  the  ruins  of  what  John  at  once 
saw  was  an  ancient  tomb  about  eight  feet  in  height. 
No  word  had  been  spoken,  and  their  guide  now 
placed  his  finger  on  his  lips,  to  indicate  that  none 
should  break  the  silence. 

There  was  Just  light  enough  for  them  to  distin- 
guish the  outlines  of  the  room.  It  seemed  to  our 
well-read  John  to  have  once  served  as  an  adoratory,  or 
place  of  worship,  for  some  past  people,  for  in  one 
wall  was  a  niche  with  steps  leading  up  to  it,  as 
if  to  furnish  a  place  upon  which  to  kneel. 

Don  Pedro  paused  at  the  great  stone  forming  the 
lower  step.  Taking  hold  of  one  corner,  he  raised  it 
up,  with  the  mate's  assistance,  and  drew  it  half 
aside.  As  he  did  so,  John  and  the  mate  peered  into 
the  cavity  it  had  concealed.  They  nearly  forgot 
the  injunction  to  keep  silence  in  their  amazement, 
for  the  faint  light  that  filtered  through  the  crevices  of 
the  walls  revealed  a  heap  of  silver  coins  nearly  filling 
the  hole.  Don  Pedro  knelt,  thrust  his  hand  into  the 
glittering  pile,  and  let  them  fall,  jingling  musically, 
evidently  enjoying  the  expression  of  the  faces  above 
him  at  sight  of  so  much  wealth.  John,  at  a  smile 
from  the  Mexican,  plunged  his  hand  in,  but  could  not 
touch  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  though  he  worked  his 
arm  in  to  the  elbow. 

And  now  the  mate  opening  the  box  he  had 
brought,  took  out  a  package  wrapped  in  tarred 
paper,  and  digging  a  hole  in  the  coins,  placed  it 
in  the  centre  and  covered  it.  At  a  nod  from  Don 
Pedro,  they  worked  the  flat  stone  back  into  position, 
and  scattering  a  little  earth  and  lime  about  to  conceal 
the  joints  and  cracks,  made  their  way  out  and  back 
into  the  glade  again. 

Once  more  in  the  slight  path  leading  to  the  cabin, 
Don  Pedro  striding  before,  the  mate  explained  to 
John  the  meaning  of  so  much  mystery  : 

"  That  was  the  cap'n's  money  in  that  package,  and 
that  silver  there  belonged  to  Don  Pedro.  The  Lord 
only  knows  how  much  there  is,  and  where  he  got  it; 
but  I  have  s'picion  he's  been  a  pirate  in  his  younger 
days  —  leastwise,  a  wrecker.  But  he's  made  an  even 
deal  now  —  one-fourthed  it  fair  and  square;  and 
when  I  concluded  to  tell  him  about  the  cap'n's 


26 


THE    SILVER     CITY. 


money,  and  ask  him  where  to  hide  it  till  such  time 
as  I  could  turn  homeward,  he  volunteered  to  show 
us  where  he  hid  his  own  sp'iles.  Share  and  share 
alike,  that's  him.  He  only  don't  want  Tom  to  know. 
So  mum's  the  word,  till  each  is  actily  ready  to 
shoulder  his  share  and  march  off.  Tom's  young  yet, 
but  he'll  get  over  that.  The  Don  wouldn't  'low 
nothin'  spoke  in  the  tomb,  cause  he  said  if  we  did, 
the  evil  genius,  or  some  sort  of  a  ghostly  critter, 
would  fly  away  with  the  hull  find  before  we  could 
.say  Jack  Robinson.  When  we  git  back  from  your 


He  frowned  ominously  when  he  read  the  title,  Con- 
quest of  Mexico. 

" Es  malicioso"  muttered  he;  "a  malicious  book; 
throw  it  into  the  sea  !  It  is  a  wizard !  it  makes  weak 
men  of  strong  men.  You  give  up  that  book  so  evil, 
son  of  mine." 

John  smiled  at  the  Mexican's  deep  earnestness. 
"Why,"  said  he  lightly,  "it  describes  this  very  island 
of  yours,  Cozumel." 

"I  well  know  that;  it  was  written  by  Captain 
Bernal  Diaz,  who  came  here  first  in  1518,  with  the 


ACROSS    FROM    COZUMEL. —  "THIS    IS     TULOOM." 


search,  then  I'll  git  my  money  and  go  home ;  and 
mebbe  you'll  be  ready  too,  and  Don  Pedro  will  git 
his  and  travel  to  Spain  to  spend  the  rest  of  his  days." 

Tom  proved  wholly  ignorant  next  morning  of  any 
moonlight  adventure ;  and  as  nothing  more  was  said  . 
about  it,  it  soon  appeared  to  John  himself  more 
like  a  dream  than  reality.  The  ruin,  however,  had 
brought  to  mind  much  he  had  read  in  his  old  book 
about  such  structures,  and  before  breakfast  he  had 
brought  out  the  volume. 

Don  Pedro  saw  it  as  he  sat  with  it  on  his  knee. 


first  Spaniards  who  landed  here ;  and  again  with  the 
great  captain,  Hernando  Cortes,  in  1519.  Read  fur- 
ther and  you  will  find  much  to  please  you ;  but  it  is 
a  bad  book.  It  leads  to  treasure-hunting,  which  is 
evil,  and  only  evil." 

All  this  Don  Pedro  had  said  with  difficulty;  but 
John  understood  him  from  his  familiarity  with  the 
book  itself. 

"  It  is  strange  to  read  here  about  Cozumel,"  he 
said,  "  and  then  to  realize  that  I  myself  am  upon 
the  very  island;  only  try  to  realize  it — here  the  great 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


ANCIENT  WATCH-TOWER. 


Cortes  landed  and  reviewed  his  troops,  just  before  he 
invaded  Mexico.  They  found  temples  with  idols 
in  them,  and  these  images  they  threw  down  and 
broke  to  pieces,  setting  up  an  image  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  in  place  of  the  idols  in  the  temples.  They 
counted  fourteen  towers  as  they  coasted  the  shore, 
and  the  entire  island  was  peopled  with  peaceful 
Indians  who  cultivated  the  soil.  Now,  Don  Pedro, 
you  tell  us  it  is  desolate ;  that  the  forest  we  see 
around  us  covers  the  island,  and  that  it  is  filled 
with  only  the  ruins  of  temples  and  chapels.  But 
there  probably  are  treasures  here,  deserted  treasures. 
Where  is  the  wrong  of  hunting  them  ?  " 

Still  Don  Pedro  shook  his  head.  Presently  he 
remarked  :  "  Y  una  iglesia 
grande  al  norte" 

"  He  says,"  explained 
the  mate,  "that  there's 
the  ruins  of  a  big  old 
church  up  in  the  forest  to 
the  north,  that  the  Span- 
iards built,  but  that  all  the 
other  ruins  are  of  the  In- 
dian houses  and  sacred 
places.  I  wish  we  had 

time  to  explore ;  but  we  won't,  John,  not  till  we  get 
back  from  your  search.  We'll  fit  up  the  long-boat 
this  very  day,  and  start  to-morrow." 

"  There's  good  huntln'  here ;  droves  and  droves  of 
wild  hogs  —  peccaries,  he  calls  them  —  and  plenty  of 
deer,"  complained  Tom.  "Confound  your  search,  I 
say,  John." 

Presently,  book  in  hand,  John  drew  the  mate  aside. 
"It's  mighty  interesting  reading — this  old  book  is  — 
here  on  the  very  spot,  so  to  speak.  Now  do  you 
suppose  that  underground  room  we  were  in  last 
night  could  be  one  of  those  old  Indian  sacred 
places?  I  read  here  that  this  whole  island  of 
Cozumel  was  a  holy  place;  that  the  Indians  from 
all  over  Yucatan  came  here  to  worship  a  goddess 
called  the  Swallow  Goddess.  I  judge  that  their 
adoratory  was  built  after  the  very  fashion  of  the  ruin 
we  buried  the  money  in  last  night.  What  do  you 
think?" 

"This  is  a  bunkum  old  island,  no  doubt!"  said 
the  mate  thoughtfully.  "  Probably  a  good  place  to 
see  sights  and  hear  sounds.  You  better  call  the 
Mexican." 

Don  Pedro  was  called,  and  after  hearing  John's 
query,  he  whispered  with  a  side  glance  at  Tom,  "  Si 


es  el  mismo  —  it  is  the  same.  Once  all  the  Indians  of 
this  great  region  venerated  that  chapel ,  but  now  they 
believe  it  held  by  a  spirit,  and  are  afraid  to  enter 
it  or  even  approach  it.  That  is  why,"  added  he 
significantly,  "  I  bury  my  treasure  there." 

The  day  was  spent  in  fitting  and  loading  the  boat. 
Even  the  idle,  jovial  Tom  worked  with  a  will.  They 
furnished  it  with  a  month's  provisions ;  guns  and 
revolvers  for  the  four;  with  abundance  of  ammuni- 
tion; and  the  mate  passed  the  evening  in  making 
rough  knapsacks  of  oiled  canvas  to  contain  their  nec- 
essary equipments  when  on  the  march.  John's  chief 
care  was  given  to  his  sketching  materials  and  pre- 
servatives for  the  bird  skins.  A  goodly  sum  of  money 
in  gold  was  distributed  amongst  the  four,  stuffed  into 
"leather  money-belts  which  Don  Pedro  furnished,  and 
which  were  buckled  about  their  waists  under  their 
clothing. 

"  All  aboard  !  "  called  the  mate  next  morning,  long 
before  the  sun  had  looked  over  the  forest  that  sur- 
rounded the  lake.  "  Now's  the  time  if  we  want  to  git 
out  in  the  channel  before  the  breeze  gits  up.  Tom 
and  John,  you  two  take  the  oars.  Don  Pedro'll  steer, 
and  I'll  h'ist  sail  soon's  we're  clear  of  the  p'int  yon- 
der." 

They  rowed  slowly  over  the  calm  lake,  leaving 
behind  the  little  cabin  to  which  they  hoped  to  return 
in  a  month,  with  no  living  thing  about  it  except  a 
few  half-wild  fowls  and  two  fish-hawks  circling 
high  above  in  the  air.  The  turn  at  the  entrance 
to  the  sea  hid  the  cocoa  grove,  and  they  entered  the 
rougher  waters  of  the  channel.  Before  them,  dim  in 
the  distance,  lay  the  coast  of  Yucatan.  The  point 
at  which  they  were  to  spend  the  night  was  exactly 
southwest  of  Cozumel,  where  there  was  a  sheltered 
bay  in  the  rockbound  coast ;  and  sixty  miles  below 
that  lay  the  deep  bay 
where  they  hoped  to 
find  some  remains  at 
least  of  the  almost  leg- 
endary wreck.  It  was 
only  thirty  miles  in  a 
straight  line  to  their  first 
port.  They  were  half- 
way over  long  before 
noon,  the  boat  behaving  ALTAR  AND  SCULPTURE  AT 
beautifully  and  sailing  TULOOM. 

swiftly  with  a  fresh  breeze  on  her  quarter.  Tom  had 
stationed  himself  at  the  bows,  and  the  rest  sat  aft; 
and  it  was  about  noon  when  they  were  interrupted 


28 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


ALTAR    AND    IDOL. 


in  their  labored  Spanish  conversation  by  a  shout  from 
the  boy  : 

"Say!  Hurrah!  Glory!  All  hands  look  here! 
There's  a  castle!  a  real  lord's  house!  bet  it's 

old  England  herself; 
and  I  can  see  great 
buildings  of  stone  shin- 
ing through  the  trees 
white  as  snow.  Good  ! 
We  shall  see  some  peo- 
ple now ! " 

"No,"  said  Don  Pe- 
dro quickly,  "  es  despo- 
blado  —  it  is  uninhabi- 
ted." 

John  had  sprung  to  his 
feet.  He  looked  land- 
ward, with  his  heart  in  his  eyes.  For  a  moment 
all  was  illusion.  Could  these  beautiful  white  gleam- 
ing walls  be  the  walls  of  the  Silver  City  ?  It  was  but 
for  a  moment.  He  sat  down,  smiling  at  himself  for 
a  romantic  boy  instead  of  a  sensible  traveller.  Did 
not  the  book  say  the  Silver  City  was  far  inland? 
And  this  was  a  town  on  the  sea  wall  itself.  Still 
again,  did  not  this  visible  wonder  make  other  wonders 
very  probable  indeed  ?  As  Don  Pedro  talked,  John 
felt  surer  than  at  any  time  before,  that  all  he  came  to 
find  was  a  reality  and  within  reach. 

"El  Castillo."  The  castle,  as  Don  Pedro  called  it, 
stood  upon  a  high  cliff,  against  the  base  of  which 
beat  the  great  sea  waves.  It  was  pierced  with  loop- 
holes, and  had  battlements  and  turrets ;  but  no  mailed 
face  looked  through  the  openings,  and  no  dark- 
skinned  sentry  paced  the  lonely  battlements.  They 
ran  into  a  protected  cove  unchallenged ;  and,  bringing 
the  boat  up  to  the  rocks  where  she  lay  in  still  water, 
anchored  her  head  and  stern,  and  climbed  ashore. 

"  This  is  Tuloom,"  said  Don  Pedro,  "  an  ancient 
Indian  city  built  hundreds  of  years  ago,  perhaps  a 
thousand.  Nobody  lives  here  now.  Sometimes 
the  Sublevados  —  the  unconquered  savages  —  come 
here  to  hunt;  but  not  now;  it  is  not  their  season." 

They  carried  up  the  solitary  rocks  all  they  needed 
with  which  to  make  camp,  and  then  devoted  the  after- 
noon to  an  exploration  of  the  ruins.  They  found 
a  great  wall  of  stone  surrounding  a  large  area,  in 
which  were  temples  and  tombs,  and  ruins  of  buildings 
spacious  enough  to  have  once  been  palaces. 

John,  like  a  born  archaeologist,  at  once  set  to  mak- 
ing surveys  and  measurements,  notes  and  sketches. 


The  castillo  itself  was  one  hundred  feet  broad, 
and  there  were  other  buildings  almost  as  large.  In 
the  centre  was  a  group  of  massive  stone  houses, 
built  on  the  summit  of  a  high  mound,  and  reached 
by  a  grand  stone  staircase.  Over  its  doorways  were 
sculptured  figures,  and  the  walls  were  decorated  with 
carved  men  and  animals.  The  doors  were  so  low 
that  they  had  to  crouch  to  enter ;  but  when  inside 
they  found  themselves  in  a  room  forty  feet  long  by 
twenty  wide,  and  fifteen  feet  high,  with  a  triangular 
arched  ceiling. 

Referring  to  the  low  doorway,  Don  Pedro  said 
there  was  a  tradition  that  these  buildings  were 
erected  for  the  dwarfs  and  hunchbacks  who  once 
lived  in  Yucatan — Los  Chiquititos — the  very  little 
people ;  and  promised  to  sometime  tell  the  story  of 
their  origin,  and  how  they  once  inhabited  an  island 
north  of  Cozumel. 

Many  sculptured  altars  were  scattered  about 
through  the  forest;  and  on  a  corner  of  the  wall 
rose  the  ancient  watch-tower,  while  before  the  princi- 
pal house  was  the  senate,  or  cavern,  from  which  they 
once  drew  water. 

The  explorers  took  possession  of  the  large  room 
of  the  castle.  They  built  a  fire  in  it  as  night  came 
on  ;  and  the  boys  mightily  enjoyed  the  novel  pros- 
pect of  sleeping  in  a  thousand-year-old  castle  in 
the  forest. 

Don  Pedro  chanced  to  go  into  the  farther   end 

of  the   great  room   be-     

fore  they  finally  stretch- 
ed themselves  on  the 
floor  to  sleep.  Sudden- 
ly they  heard  a  loud  ex- 
clamation. The  next 
moment  he  came  rush- 
ing back  to  the  fire. 

" The  red  hand!"  said 
he  in  a  trembling  voice ; 
"  it  is  there  on  the  wall ! " 

Wondering,  the  three  went  and  looked  where  the 
Mexican  directed.  To  their  surprise  they  each  saw 
it  too ;  the  imprint  of  a  hand  on  the  wall  as  though 
it  had  been  dipped  in  blood.  They  could  scarcely 
credit  the  evidence  of  their  matter-of-fact  American 
eyes,  and  they  looked  again;  but  there  the  rude 
imprint  surely  was,  and  whether  freshly  painted,  or  an 
old  fresco,  John  could  not  decide.  He,  for  one,  had 
no  fear  that  it  was  a  phantom  hand.  Still  much 
excited  and  disagreeably  impressed  were  they  all. 


RUINED   TEMPLE. 


THE    SILVER     CITY.  29 

Don  Pedro  had  gone  outside.     They  could  hear  For  a  moment  he  stood  still  in  astonishment.     But 

him  pacing  up  and  down  the  corridor.  Don  Pedro  had  seen  them  also.     He  grasped  John's 

The  moon  was  in  its  last  quarter,  and  but  feebly  arm.     He  whispered  sharply : 

lighted  up  the  groups  of  ruins ;  but  as  John  joined  "  The  red  hand  is  not  for  naught !  and  those  are 
him,  he  chanced  to  look  out  of  the  low  doorway,  and  the  Sublevados!"     With  that  he  darted  within,  draw- 
he  saw,  or  thought  he  saw,  a  dusky  figure  skulking  ing  John  with  him. 
behind  an  altar,  and  another  creeping  behind  a  tree. 


3° 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


THE     NIGHT     IN     TULOOM. 


CHAPTER  V. 


ON  PEDRO'S  first 
impulse  as  he 
plunged  under  the 
low  doorway,  was 
to  alarm  the  others 
at  once  and  hurry 
them  down  to  the 
boat;  but  the 
bright  fire  blazing 
in  the  room  in 
contrast  to  the 
gloom  without,  the  array  of  firearms  and  his  own  nat- 
ural fearlessness  when  unswerved  by  superstitious 
influences,  soon  exerted  their  calming  power.  He 
paused  before  the  fire  as  if  in  deep  thought.  He 
lifted  his  eyes  at  last  and  turned  resolutely  toward  the 
dusky  red  hand  upon  the  wall.  He  felt  a  slight  shud- 
der, as  any  mortal  classed  among  Spaniards  well  might. 
But  yet  this  hand  of  threat  and  warning  was  probably 
limned  there  centuries  ago,  and  the  dusky  shades 
flitting  without  might.be  wholly  ignorant  of  its  pres- 
ence there.  At  any  rate  four  cool,  well-armed  men, 
on  the  alert,  might  defy  scores  of  wild  savages.  He 
glanced  at  John  who  stood  near  him  in  an  anxious, 
waiting  attitude,  with  a  quiet,  reassuring  smile. 

With  a  touch  on  the  shoulder  he  beckoned  the 
mate  aside.  These  two  men  were  totally  different  in 
nationality,  speech  and  nature;  the  one  with  the  hot 
blood  of  the  Spaniard  seething  along  his  veins,  and  the 
other  with  the  cool  and  self-possessed  temperament  of 
the  North  American.  The  man  of  Spanish  birth  much 
admired  the  sturdy,  slow-moving  strength  of  the  North- 
ener,  much  respected  his  quiet  decisions.  With  his 
penetrating  eye  well  upon  him,  he  now  hastily  laid 
before  him  his  fears,  and  his  reasons  for  fears. 

The  mate  listened  to  Don  Pedro's  statements  with- 
out interruption,  unless  a  low,  short,  underbreath 
whistle  now  and  then  might  be  taken  as  comment. 

"Yes,  senor,"  he  said  at  last,  "just  so.  You're 
right  to  be  alarmed  ;  all  the  same,  I  don't  see's 


there's  any  necessity  of  vacating  the  premises.  We'll 
be  on  the  alert,  that's  all.  Perhaps  we  better  tell 
both  the  boys,  so  as  they  can  comport  themselves 
properly  as  'twere." 

"Por  su  puesto  —  of  course  "  —  replied  Don  Pe- 
dro. 

"My  young  friends,"  said  the  mate,  assuming  a 
bantering  tone  to  hide  the  real  depth  of  his  concern 
as  he  returned  to  his  place  by  the  fire,  "  our  elderly 
guide  here,  thinks  there's  a  right  smart  chance  of  our 
bein'  gobbled  by  the  sociable  inhabitants  of  this 
new  country.  He  thinks  that  though  they've  had  no 
notice  of  our  movin'  in,  they'll  prob'ly  give  us  a  reg- 
ul'r  house-warmin',  and  air  waitin'  just  outside  for  that 
there  purpose.  He  ain't  seen  nothin'  definit,  to  be 
sure,  but  thinks  we'd  better  be  a  lookin'  out.  Now 
the  question  is,"  he  went  on,  not  regarding  Tom's 
big,  terrified  eyes,  "  shall  we  stay  up  here  all  night,  or 
retreat  to  the  boat  best  as  we  can?  I'd  like  the 
voice  of  the  meetin'  on  that  pint." 

Consulting  together,  Tom's  voice  being  but  a 
shiver  and  a  groan,  however,  they  concluded,  when 
they  considered  the  difficult  climbing  over  the  cliff 
by  night,  and  the  probability  of  lurking,  following 
Indians,  that  it  would  be  better  to  wait  until  daylight 
under  cover,  where  they  could  act  in  concert. 

They  were  now  too  excited  to  sleep,  although  the 
mate  advised  that  two  of  the  party  should  lie  down 
while  the  other  two  kept  watch. 

"  Sleep  !  "  growled  Tom,  "  d'  you  think  I  can  lay 
down  and  sleep  when  there's  a  chance  for  an  Injun 
to  be  feelin'  'round  for  my  scalp  ?  No,  sir !  I  prefer 
to  be  awake  and  see  how  it's  done." 

"  My  son,  I  feel  some  so  myself,"  replied  the 
mate ;  "  therefore  we'll  all  bear  a  hand  at  this  watch- 
ing out,  my  hearties.  Le's  see  now !  We've  got  all 
our  weepins  here,  ain't  we,  John  ?  Le'me  see  !  a 
revolver  apiece  all  around,  two  rifles  and  a  shotgun, 
besides  knives  and  sich,  and  plenty  of  cattridges  and 
powder.  Better  put  the  fire  out,  Mr.  Peter." 

But  the  Mexican  was  sure  it  had  already  been 
seen  and  could  do  no  further  harm.  "  But,"  sug- 
gested he,  "we  may  push  those  burning  logs  up  in 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


INHABITANTS   OF   TULOOM. 


the  corner  near  the  door,  where  it  will  light  up  the 
entrance  and  leave  us  in  gloom." 

This  suggestion  was  acted  upon,  and  the  group 
drew  away  into  the  farther  darkness,  where  they 
huddled  together  on  their  blankets. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  they  were  in  a  room 

which  was 
forty  feet 
long,  and  fif- 
teen high,  the 
walls,  roof 
and  floor  of 
solid  stone. 
There  was 
but  one  en- 
trance, the 
square  door- 
way near  the 
end,  and  but 

three  other  openings,  small  slits,  or  loopholes,  cut  in 
the  wall,  high  up,  overlooking  the  sea.  Had  they 
anticipated  trouble  and  chosen  a  place  to  withstand 
a  siege  they  could  not  have  selected  a  stronger  point; 
but  as  they  had  not  foreseen  this  they  had  brought 
only  a  little  food  from  the  boat,  and  had  little  water. 
There  was  a  "  shivering  sense  of  danger,"  as  Tom 
put  it,  in  the  possibility  of  an  attack,  but  it  can't  be 
denied  that  John,  at  least,  rather  enjoyed  it  as  he 
looked  about  and  saw  himself  surrounded  by  strong 
walls  and  felt  his  own  good  New  England  rifle  in  his 
hand.  Could  the  doorway  but  have  been  barricaded, 
he  would  have  dared  the  Sublevados  of  all  Yucatan. 
The  only  shadow  on  his  fearless  mood  was  a  remorse- 
ful feeling  that  it  was  his  own  personal  adventure 
that  had  led  his  companions  into  this  possible  dan- 
ger ;  and  presently  he  began  to  consider  some  way 
of  pursuing  his  journey  and  his  quest  alone,  without 
involving  his  friends  farther. 

Over  their  heads  they  could  trace  the  mystical 
fresco  that  had  excited  Don  Pedro's  fears  ;  and  now 
the  mate  asked  for  its  meaning. 

"  Quien  sabe  —  who  knows" —  replied  he,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders ;  "  it  has  probably  been  there 
these  thousand  years.  It  is  found  in  all  these  ruins. 
All  same,  I  shudder  when  I  look  upon  it.  It  means 
death  to  the  Spaniard.  The  tradition  is  that  it  is 
death  that  day  or  night  it  is  looked  upon  for  the  first 
time  by  a  stranger.  Perhaps  not  to  the  stranger 
himself,  but  to  some  one  within  the  ruins  at  the 
time.  So  when  I  saw  it  with  my  three  friends  all 


strangers,  and  later  thought  I  saw  the  savages,  I  was 
sorry  much  that  I  had  brought  you  here.  There  are 
many  red  hands,  and  many  times  have  I  seen  them, 
but  not  with  strangers  ever  before." 

They  looked  upward  with  strange  feelings,  despite 
their  Yankee  hard  sense  ;  and  Tom  moved  a  little 
nearer  the  centre  of  the  group. 

"  It  does  look  's  though  it  was  stretched  out  to 
clutch  you,  don't  it  ?  "  said  he. 

Crowds  of  bats  flew  through  the  darkness  of  the 
high  arched  ceiling,  and  among  them  vampires  as 
large  as  pigeons  flapped  their  hideous  wings.  Every 
time  they  swooped  from  their  dark  hiding-places,  the 
Americans  dodged,  and  put  up  their  hands  to  protect 
their  heads.  Don  Pedro  alone  was  insensible  to 
their  presence.  He  sat  grasping  his  rifle,  his  eyes 
on  the  flickering  fire  near  the  doorway.  The  wind 
howled  outside,  the  moon  had  become  obscured,  and  a 
storm  beat  upon  the  sea-wall,  blowing  through  the 
loop-holes  chill  and  freezing. 

Don  Pedro  shook  himself  from  his  revery.  "These 
savages,"  said  he,  "  are  fierce  and  bloodthirsty.  I 
love  not  to  think  they  stand  outside.  They  are  the 
unconquered  Indians  who  never  submitted  to  the 
Spaniards.  We  call  them  Sublevados,  or  rebels,  and 
they  hate  us  of  Spanish  blood  with  undying  hatred. 
They  may  have  had  cause,  in  those  times  when  Yuca- 
tan was  first  conquered  ;  but  though  that  is  more 
than  three  hundred  years  ago,  they  hate  us  still. 
They  kill  every  Spaniard  that  comes  into  their  coun- 
try. Sometimes  at  once ;  but  oftener  they  save  him 
for  the  torture.  I  knew  a  man — probredto — they 
tortured  ;  they  played  toro  with  him." 

"  And  that  ?  "  demanded  his  heroes  in  whispers. 

"Why,  a  bull-fight;  .they  put  a  ring  through  his 
nose,  tied 
him  to  a 
stake,  and 
then  pierced 
him  with 
their  spears 
and  shot  ar- 
r  o  w  s  into 
him." 

This    he 

had  uttered  slowly,  Mr.  Walker  and  John  translating 
aloud.  Tom  grew  sick  at  heart,  and  evidently  John 
and  the  mate  loved  not  "  to  think  of  them  as  stand- 
ing outside." 

"  Hark  !  "  whispered  the  mate.     "  I  hear  a  noise; 


NATURAL    TOES. 


32 


THE    SILVER     CITY. 


somebody's  sartin  outside  the  steps."  They  listened ; 
there  was,  without  mistake,  a  confused  movement  like 
the  soft  treading  of  many  feet. 

With  straining  eyes,  the  four  inmates  of  the  room 
watched  the  doorway,  lighted  by  the  glowing  fire- 
brands, each  one  grasping  gun  or  rifle. 

Presently  the  mate  touched  John  on  the  shoulder. 
There  was  something  coming  through  the  aperture. 
Another  second,  and  the  flickering  light  from  the 
coals  showed  the  head  and  shoulders  of  a  man. 

"  Halt !  "  Don  Pedro  shouted  in  Spanish.  "  Who 
is  it  ?  " 

The  figure  made  no  reply,  but  crouched  on  the 
floor,  still  moved  slowly  in  ;  others  were  behind  — 
they  inside  could  hear  the  smothered  voices. 

"  Don't  understand  Spanish,"  muttered  the  Mexi- 
can under  his  breath.  "  Who  are  you  ?  "  he  added 
aloud  in  Maya,  the  language  of  the  Sublevados. 

No  answer,  but  the  forms  retreated.  Soon  a  voice 
outside  cried  in  Spanish  to  those  within:  " Amigosl" 

"  What  do  you  want  ? "  answered  Don  Pedro. 

"  To  go  in  and  talk  with  you." 
'"You  can't." 

"  We  will ;  we  are  amigos  —  friends  ! " 

"  How  many  are  you  ? " 

"  We  are  more  than  a  hundred." 

"One  may  come  in  ;  one  only." 

"  Bien! — I,  then,  will  come  in." 

"  Only  one ;  more  only  at  their  peril." 

"  Beware,  now  !  "  whispered  Don  Pedro  hurriedly. 
"  Watch  the  doorway  with  your  guns ;  if  more  come 
fn,  shoot!  If  you  hesitate,  they  can  kill  us  all ! " 

A  tall  form  now  stood  erect  by  the  fire,  the  feeble 
blaze  lighting  up  his  massive  frame  and  showing 
e  knife  gleaming  in  one  hand. 

"  Friend,  what  wish  you?  " 

Without  answer,  the  stranger  blew  a  shrill  whistle, 
*nd  sprang  suddenly  in  the  direction  of  Don  Pedro's 
voice.  The  beleagured  four  as  yet  had  the  advan- 
tage, being  in  darkness ;  but  a  moment  of  hesi- 
tation would  have  lost  their  lives,  for  the  doorway 
was  now  choked  with  forms  struggling  to  get  inside. 

Bang!  bang!  bang!  The  dark  mass  ceased  to 
advance.  Howls  of  pain  and  rage  testified  that  the 
shots  had  been  effective. 

Don  Pedro  was  struggling  with  his  treacherous 
amigo.  He  had  evaded  the  spring,  but  had  fallen 
upon  the  slippery  stone  floor,  and  before  he  could 
rise,  the  Indian  was  well  upon  him.  No  word 
escaped  either.  Fiercely  they  fought,  each  straining 


every  muscle ;  the  one  to  use  his  knife,  the  other  to 
arrest  the  blow. 

"Guard  the  door,  you  two  fellows  with  your 
revolvers !  I  can't  stand  this ! "  cried  the  mate, 
rushing  upon  the  writhing  forms  in  the  corner. 
He  might  have  received  that  knife  himself,  but  he 
threw  himself  recklessly  upon  them,  feeling  for  the 
naked  body  of  the  Indian.  A  deep  groan  told  him 
that  one  was  hurt ;  but  he  had  the  Indian  by  the 
throat,  and  quickly  bent  and  held  his  arms  to  the 
floor.  It  was  not  the  Indian  that  was  harmed,  for 
he  could  struggle  like  a  giant,  and  all  the  strength 
that  lay  in  the  mate's  massive  body  was  needed 


DON  PEDRO  AND  THE  TREACHEROUS  "AMIGO." 


to  hold  him  down;  but  at  last  the  iron  grip  on 
the  tower-like  throat  began  to  tell,  and  finally  the 
savage  lay  quiet. 

Nor  did  Don  Pedro  move.  The  mate  after 
becoming  satisfied  that  the  Indian  was  harmless, 
released  his  hold  and  moved  over  to  raise  his  friend ; 
but  a  new  stir  at  the  doorway  called  him  back  ;  the 
bodies  had  been  drawn  out,  and  a  fresh  horde  now 
dashed  at  the  opening. 

"  Revolvers  again  !  "  shouted  John.  "  Let  'em 
have  it,  Tom  !  " 

An  outburst  of  cries  followed  the  discharge,  but 
the  desperate  creatures  still  pressed  in,  only  desisting 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


33 


when  the  passage  was  again  blocked  by  the  slain. 

"That's  it,  my  sons  !  "  cried  the  mate ;  "  shoot  as 
they  come,  but  not  a  needless  shot.  We  don't  want 
to  kill  'em,  as  I  know  of,  only  so  far  as  to  keep  them 
from  killin'  us.  Watch  out  again,  while  I  see  about 
Mr.  Peter  here." 

"You  come  here  !  "  cried  John,  "  and  let  me  go  to 
him.  I  must! " 

"All  right;  only  keep  your  eyes  about  you.  That 
Indian  ain't  wholly  dead,  I  suspicion." 

John  lit  a  match  and  held  it  low  to  the  face  of 
his  good  friend  who  now  lay  so  quiet  there.  It  was 
deathly  pale,  but  his  heart  beat ;  he  was  unconscious, 
but  not  dead.  Blood  flowed  from  a  cut  in  one  arm, 
and  in  his  right  temple ;  but  his  present  unconscious 
state  John  thought  resulted  from  the  concussion 
when  his  head  struck  the  stone  floor. 

With  hasty  charing  and  a  dash  from  the  Mexican's 
own  brandy-flask,  he  soon  had  the  gladness  of  seeing 
the  heavy  eyes  open,  and  a  look  of  recognition  flash 
upon  him.  He  was  hurriedly  binding  up  the  wounded 
arm,  when  another  arm  —  a  naked  one  —  was  thrown 
about  him,  and  he  was  drawn  within  the  suffocating 
clasp  of  the  Indian,  who  also  had  returned  to  con- 
sciousness. 

John's  own  resistance  was  vain ;  but  Don  Pedro, 
feeling  swiftly  over  the  floor,  found  the  knife  the 
savage  had  dropped,  and  thrusting  it  against  his 
breast,  was  about  to  end  the  matter,  when  the  brawny 
fellow  released  his  hold,  and  cried  for  quarter. 

"  No !  "  hissed  the  Mexican.     "  My  turn  this  time." 

"  Don't,  Don  Pedro !  "  gasped  John,  regaining  his 
breath  by  a  mighty  effort.  "  Let  us  simply  bind  him, 
and  hold  him  captive,  and  so  buy  our  way  out." 

"  Oh,  kill  me,  if  you  like !  my  people  are  here, 
plenty,  to  avenge  my  death ! "  scoffed  the  Indian 
in  fierce  Spanish,  evidently  ashamed  that  he  had 
begged  quarter. 

"  No,  tie  him  !  "  said  John. 

They  dragged  him  forward  to  the  fire,  and  the 
mate  set  about  binding  his  arms.  The  Indian  was 
passive ;  they  thought  him  weakened  by  loss  of 
blood.  But  he  was  gathering  his  energies  up ;  sud- 
denly, in  one  lightning-like  leap,  he  was  on  his  feet ; 
another,  and  he  had  darted  through  the  doorway. 

For  a  moment  they  were  alone.  The  mate  picked 
himself  up  from  the  corner  into  which  the  Indian  had 
tossed  him,  and  pulled  Tom  away  from  the  coals 
near  which  he  had  been  tumbled  in  that  desperate 
leap  for  freedom. 


"  Hear  'em  yell !  "  growled  Tom.  "  I'd  give  all 
I'm  worth  to  be  back  on  Don  Peter's  green  little 
island.  It's  ten  times  wus'n  a  shipwreck." 

He  had  followed  orders  without  a  word,  and  had 
fired  wherever  he  saw  a  head  ;  but  now,  in  the  first 
silence,  he  gave  way.  War  was  not  the  young  cook's 
forte. 

"  Patience  !  "  said  Don  Pedro  in  a  changed,  cheery 
voice;  "we  will  presently  escape." 

"  How  escape  ?  " 

Four  walls  and  a  solid  roof,  the  only  entrance 
watched  by  probably  a  hundred  Indians.  They 
regarded  the  Mexican  wonderingly. 

"I  know  these  ruins,"  said  Don  Pedro  ;  "I  believe 
that  it  is  in  this  one  that  there  is  an  underground 
passage  to  the  sea.  Keep  them  back  long  enough  for 
me  to  feel  round  for  the  stone  that  covers  it,  and 
if  it  is  here,  as  I  believe,  we  are  safe.  Strange  I  did 
not  think  of  it  before." 

This  guard  was  an  easy  matter,  for  the  Indians  no 
longer  tried  to  enter.  They  could  sit  down  and  wait. 
The  beseiged  must  emerge  sometime.  They  crouched 
in  the  quadrangle  outside,  behind  pillars,  in  the  black 
shadows  of  ruined  altars,  like  famished  wolves  at  the 
door  of  a  sheepfold. 

Groping  in  the  dark,  the  Mexican  found,  so  soon 
as  he  expected,  the  rough  edge  of  the  slab  that 
covered  an  opening.  Exerting  all  their  strength,  he 
and  the  mate  silently  lifted  and  laid  it  aside.  A 
strong  current  of  air  blew  out  of  the  aperture. 

"  It  is  from  the  sea ! "  whispered  Don  Pedro 
joyfully. 

Then,  in  the  silence,  they  disputed  hastily  and 
stealthily  as  to  who  should  not  go  in  first.  The  post 
of  danger  was  behind  ;  each  insisted  upon  taking  it ; 
even  Tom.  At  last  Don  Pedro  led  the  way,  dropping 
noiselessly  down  into  the  passage.  The  mate  next , 
Tom  and  John  were-  to  follow. 

"  It's  my  adventure,"  said  John.    "  I  take  the  risk." 

Before  he  entered  he  crept  back  to  the  door  and 
peered  out.  An  arrow  or  two  flew  by  him.  But  no 
demonstration  was  made  toward  storming  the  en- 
trance. Satisfied  as  to  their  plan,  he  dropped  into 
the  hole.  It  was  dark  and  damp ;  the  rocks  were 
slimy ;  every  step  was  a  slippery  one.  But  the  way 
led  to  the  sea  and  the  boat ! 

His  companions  had  paused  for  him  and  now  they 
all  groped  their  way  downward  and  onward.  Little 
was  said.  Each  knew  it  was  the  push  for  life. 

At  last  they  reached  a  narrow  opening ;  hitherto  they 


34 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


had  been  able  to  stand  erect,  but  now  the  passage 
narrowed  like  the-  neck  of  a  bottle  and  descended 
rapidly.  "  Slowly  now,  and  carefully,"  said  Don  Pedro. 
He  slid  in.  The  mate  followed.  Both  landed  on 
their  feet  upon  a  ledge  and  in  sight  of  the  sea.  But 
as  they  struck,  a  deafening  noise  roared  in  their  ears ; 
the  wall  overhead  seemed  to  fall  behind  them.  They 
looked  back;  an  immense  bowlder  in  some  way 
jarred  from  its  poise  by  their  descent,  had  fallen  into 
the  passage  and  was  so  firmly  wedged  no  human 
power  could  move  it. 


"  Boys,  we  can't  help  you.  Don  Pedro  says  it's 
capture  for  you.  He  says,  don't  make  no  resistance 
and  they  won't  harm  you.  Don  Pedro  knows  'em ; 
they  will  keep  you  a  month,  not  less'n  a  month, 
before  they  will  hurt  a  hair  of  your  heads  ;  then  "  — 

"  I  know  !  "  returned  John  in  the  voice  of  one  who 
had  resolved  that  death  was  now  to  be  faced  without 
flinching.  "  They  will  sacrifice  us  as  an  offering  to 
their  gods  !  However,  as  you  won't  forget  us,  mate, 
we  won't  give  up." 

"  Say  you  won't,  Mr.  Walker  !  "  added  Tom,  "an'  I 


"SENOR    CAPITAN,   SOMOS    AMERICANOS  1  " 


They  were  probably  safe  —  but  the  boys?  As  in 
ft  tomb !  Their  advance  was  cut  off  and  a  horde  of 
savages  were  in  their  rear,  for  they  could  hear  them 
swarming  into  the  apartment  above,  warned  by  the 
roise  of  the  escape  of  their  prisoners. 

Both  men  were  almost  stupefied  by  this  sudden 
calamity.  Presently  the  mate's  voice  reached  the 
boys.  "  Boys,  are  you  hurt  ?  Are  you  alive  ?  " 

John  answered  him  ;  they  were  alive,  and  unhurt. 

Then  the  mate's  voice  came  again  full  of  agony. 


won't  give  up  either.  We'll  expect  you  afore  the 
month's  out,  shan't  we  ?  " 

"So  long's  we  live,  Don  and  I'll  follow  on  your 
trail,"  said  the  mate's  voice  again.  "Tom,  John, 
we've  got  to  go  now;  the  fiends  are  swarmin'  over 
the  cliffs  and  down  to  the  boat,  the  Don  says.  It's 
to  be  good-by  now." 

"  Adios,  my  sons  /  Look  out  for  us  again.  Don't 
resist ;  they  will  not  kill  you.  Adios!"  Don  Pedro 
spoke  last,  then  all  was  still. 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


35 


But  the  silence  about  the  two  boys  was  again 
soon  broken.  There  was  the  report  of  a  revolver, 
then  another,  then  the  outcry  of  wounded  Indians. 
Then  another  period  of  silence,  after  which  the  fall 
of  oars  and  a  shout  told  them  their  companions  had 
reached  the  boat  and  were  probably  safe. 

"John,"  said  Tom,  as  they  held  each  other's 
hands  in  the  fresh  silence  of  the  dismal  cavern,  "don't 
you  feel  bad  for  me.  I  know  what's  likely  you're  think- 
in'  of.  It's  likely  you're  a-thinkin'  of  me.  But  I  ain't 
afraid  to  go  wherever  you  do.  Now  shall  we  shoot 
'em  as  they  come  down  on  us  as  long  as  we  can  ?  " 

"No,  Tom,  we'll  do  nothing  to  enrage  them.  We 
can  only  try  to  get  back  to  the  room  and  give  our- 
selves up  since  it  must  end  in  that  anyway,  unless 
indeed  we  are  shot  down  at  once.  I  am  sorry,  Tom, 
that  any  business  of  mine  brought  you  into  this  trap." 

"  Never  you  mind  me,  Johnny  North !  I  get  my 
fun  as  I  go  along.  I  wish  we's  somewhere  else,  but 
seein's  we  ain't,  what's  the  use  ?  " 

John  was  beginning  to  think  there  was  better  stuff 
in  Tom  than  he  had  thought,  and  that  he  might  not 
prove  so  bad  a  comrade  after  all,  when  a  light 
suddenly  danced  above  them,  between  them  and  the 
aperture.  It  must  be  the  savages;  but  without 
exchanging  a  word  they  followed  it,  went  towards  it, 
slipping,  falling,  till  they  reached  the  bright  opening 
in  the  floor. 

John  thrust  his  head  up  at  once,  not  knowing  but 
it  might  be  taken  off  at  a  blow ;  then  he  passed  out 
his  gun,  which  was  seized  by  the  bearer  of  the  torch. 
A  dozen  hands  roughly  aided  him  to  regain  the 
room,  and  they  did  the  same  for  Tom  as  he  appeared. 

It  cannot  be  affirmed  that  they  did  not  quake  as 
they  faced  the  throng  of  Indians  filling  the  room, 
keeping  ominous  silence,  the  red  light  from  the  torches 
playing  on  their  scowling  faces.  But  both  had  pre- 
pared themselves  for  the  worst,  and  they  met  the 
fierce  creatures  with  bold  front. 

But  there  was  no  haste,  no  threats.  Their  arms 
were  taken  from  them,  and  they  were  led  outside. 
Here  in  the  corridor  stood  the  chief  of  the  band,  a 
tall,  sinewy  man  of  bronze,  with  long  black  hair  and 
a  piercing  eye.  John  started,  for  he  was  the  same 
who  had  first  entered  the  room,  the  same  with  whom 
both  the  Mexican  and  the  mate  had  fought. 

He  stood  facing  the  west,  and  the  moon  being  in 
that  portion  of  the  heavens,  threw  upon  him  a  feeble 
light  from  between  the  storm-clouds,  and  John  was 
calm  enough  to  observe  him  closely.  He  wore,  after 


the  fashion  of  the  ancient  Mayas  —  the  primitive 
people  of  Yucatan  —  a  cincture  about  his  loins,  and 
a  short  manta,  or  blanket,  upon  his  shoulders,  sandals 
of  deer-skin  bound  to  his  feet  by  hempen  thongs,  and 
a  short  garment  of  feather-work  about  his  waist  and 
hips.  His  hair  was  cut  short  in  front  and  gathered 
upon  his  head  from  the  sides  in  a  sort  of  coronet,  or 
crown,  hanging  long  behind.  He  grasped'  a  bow 
taller  than  himself,  and  a  ponderous  war-club,  while 
his-  quiver  full  of  arrows  hung  upon  his  back,  and  a 
gleaming  knife  was  suspended  from  his  girdle. 
Portions  of  his  body  and  his  massive  legs  were 
naked,  and  as  he  stood,  wholly  motionless,  it  looked 
as  if  this  barbaric  attire  might  have  been  hung  upon 
a  noble  statue  of  bronze,  except  that  his  eyes 
sparkled  as  he  beheld  his  prisoners  before  him. 

"  About  as  fine  as  they  make  them !  "  reflected 
John,  appreciating  the  grand  physique  of  the  man. 

In  ranks  loosely  formed,  his  men  now  gathered 
around  their  chief,  naked,  except  for  cincture  and 
sandals,  and  with  long  hair  falling  down  their  backs. 
They  like  him  were  armed  with  bows  and  arrows, 
with  spears,  and  the  ancient  two-edged  sword,  or 
battle-axe,  of  wood  edged  with  sharpened  flints. 

There  they  stood,  this  remnant  of  a  people  cele- 
brated in  antiquity,  amid  the  ruins  of  the  temples  of 
their  ancestors,  ready  at  order  to  punish  these  two 
adventurers  for  invading  their  sacred  precincts.  In 
spite  of  danger  John  could  but  look  on  it  all  as  a  part 
of  the  pageantry  of  his  romantic  dreams  made  real. 

The  chief  at  last  motioned  them  to  stand  before 
him.  His  eyes  emitted  fierce  rays  as  they  approached ; 
and  John  was  well  aware  that  many  a  hand  clutched 
the  bow  as  he  and  Tom  passed  along  the  ranks. 

The  chief  alone  could  speak  Spanish  ;  his  people 
only  Maya,  the  Indian  tongue.  He  accosted  them. 

"  Why  are  you  here  ?  " 

"  We  have  come,"  replied  John,  "  to  see  your 
country,  to  see  its  birds,  its  people,  and  its  wonderful 
cities.  We  are  but  peaceful  scientific  explorers." 

A  moment  the  chief  eyed  him  wrathfully. 

"  Caramba  f  Explorers !  To  explore  my  country ! 
I  am  Christobal,  Chief  of  the  Sublevados !  My  castle 
is  Chan  Santa  Cruz.  Never  yet  have  I  spared  a 
Spaniard's  life,  and  yours  shall  not  be  the  first  I  have 
offered  to  my  gods.  Ha  !  You  did  not  speak  of  the 
gods !  Do  ye  not  want  to  see  the  gods  of  this 
country  ?  Ye  shall !  Ye  shall  see  the  country,  the 
birds,  the  people,  the  cities,  the  gods  —  and  then  ye 
shall  die!" 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


A  thought  flashed  through  John's  brain.  He 
whispered  it  to  Tom  : 

"  They  take  us  for  Spaniards,  the  enslavers  of 
their  race.  It  is  possible  they  have  different  feelings 
toward  Americans." 

He  spoke  up  boldly :  "  Senor  Capitan,  somos  Amer- 
icanos /  "  —  "  Your  Excellency,  we  are  Americans ! " 

Christobal  stepped  forward.  He  gazed  at  their 
weather-bronzed  faces  doubtfully. 

"Como?     How ?  not  Spaniards  ?     Americans?" 

He  turned  to  his  followers  and  rapidly  translated 
the  meaning  of  that  magic  word.  The  effect  was 
electrical.  The  dusky  throng  leaped  to  its  feet  as 
one  man.  They  poured  out  a  prolonged  strange  cry : 

"  Quetzalcoatl !     Quetzalcoatl !  " 

The  chief  nodded  approvingly.  His  men  sank 
again  to  the  ground,  but  now  no  longer  regarding  the 
boys  vindictively,  but  smiling,  and  conversing  excit- 
edly amongst  themselves.  The  chief  advanced.  He 
placed  his  hands  on  the  boys'  shoulders.  He  looked 
at  them  piercingly,  but  not  unkindly. 

"  From  the  north  ?  Ye  came  from  the  north  ? 
whence  the  white-winged  canoes  come  down  to  trade 
with  our  coast  ?  From  the  Snow  King's  home  ? " 

"  Si,  Senor  Capitan." 

"Then  you  are  my  sons.  Ye  are  children  of 
Quetzalcoatl.  This  land  is  yours  ! " 

Speaking  thus,  he  gathered  his  unwilling  sons  to 
his  breast  in  a  hearty  embrace.  They  submitted,  too 
amazed  to  speak;  but  Torn  was  not  at  all  grateful 
for  this  turn  of  affairs. 

"  See  here  now  !  "  he  said  afterwards.  "  I  was  a 
little  shaky  when  they  all  glared  at  us  so,  and  I 
thought  our  hour  had  come  ;  but,  hang  it  all !  I'd 
ruther  they'd  knock  me  on  the  head  than  give  me  one 
of  their  family  embraces  !  " 

And  now  the  scene  and  atmosphere  changed 
rapidly.  It  was  one  thing  to  be  a  Spaniard,  quite 
another  to  be  a  North  American.  At  Christobal's 
command,  his  men  prepared  a  soft  couch  in  a 
sheltered  portion  of  the  corridor,  of  the  silky  down 
of  the  ceiba,  or  the  silk  cotton-tree,  elastic  as  eider 
down.  Upon  this  were  spread  mantas.  Then  the 
weary  men  were  politely  bidden  to  lie  down  and  rest. 
They  obeyed,  wondering  what  would  happen  next. 
But  it  was  nearly  daylight  when  they  fell  asleep,  and 
broad  sunlight  spread  over  the  forest  when  they  opened 
their  eyes  some  hours  later. 

As  soon  as  it  was  found  they  were  awake,  two 
olive-skinned  boys  hurried  to  their  side,  each  with  a 


cup  of  coffee  and  a  basin  of  water  fragrant  with  me 
wild  bay  leaves  floating  in  it.  Kneeling,  and  with 
every  sign  of  respect,  they  offered  their  service  to  the 
young  strangers,  and  when  they  had  bathed  gave 
them  a  handful  otpita  fiber  to  dry  the  moisture. 

Then  they  hastened  away  and  soon  returned  with 
their  arms  full  of  clothing.  There  were  two  full 
suits  belonging  to  the  boys  themselves  (which  they 
evidently  had  brought  up  from  the  boat).  These 
they  placed  on  one  side  of  the  couch.  On  the  other 
they  cast  a  heap  of  Indian  fabrics,  bright-colored 
blankets,  leggings  of  deer  skin  embroidered  with 
beads  or  feathers,  sarapes,  or  blanket-shawls  of  gor- 


AS    MAYAS.  —  TOM    AND    JOHN  SURVEYING  EACH  OTHER. 

geous  coloring  ornamented  with  silver  braid  and 
buttons ;  sandals  made  with  nicest  care,  and  to  be 
secured  by  the  softest  of  deer-skin  thongs. 

It  was  the  garb  of  civilization  and  the  garb  of  a 
semi-barbaric  people.  By  signs  they  offered  the 
young  men  their  choice. 

The  boys  looked  from  one  pile  to  the  other.  Tom 
broke  the  silence  first.  "John,  these  Injuns  are 
a-tryin'  us.  This  is  to  see  whether  we  will  go  with 
them  of  our  own  free  will,  or  whether  we  ain't  true 
sons  and  still  hanker  after  the  region  of  the  Snow 
King,  as  they  call  him.  And  there  may  be  more 
dependin'  on  the  choice  than  we  think.  I  motion  we 
take  their  toggery,  and  be  big  Injuns  too." 


THE     SIL  VER     CITY. 


37 


MAYA   WOMEN. 


"  That's  about  the  level  of  the  thing,  I  guess,"  said 
John,  "  and  you're  right ;  we  may  as  well  go  in  for 
whatever  fun  there  is  in  it.  On  with  the  toggery  !  " 

With  the  assistance  of  their  two  Indian  valets,  they 
dressed  themselves  as  Mayas.  The  moment  they 
were  left  alone,  they  turned  upon  each  other,  restrain- 
ing their  laughter,  how- 
ever, as  fully  as  possi- 
ble. Tom,  with  his 
round  rosy  face  was 
specially  "  jolly  "  with 
a  bright  scarlet  blanket 
hanging  around  him,  his 
head  thrust  through  a 
hole  in  the  centre,  a  gir- 
dle of  tiger  skin  about 
his  waist  and  leggings 
shining  with  silver  bells 
and  buttons. 

"  Oh,  look   at  home 
now,  you  young  Injun," 

said  he  at  last ;  "  you  don't  seem  to  realize  that  your 
arms  are  bare  and  that  you  haven't  half  clos'  enough 
to  cover  you  anyway !  Come  now  !  Hullo  !  what 
now  ? " 

Their  pages  were  approaching  with  small  cala- 
bashes in  their  hands  containing  different  colored 
paints. 

"  Blamed  if  they  ain't  going  to  paint  us  !  " 
Yes,  verily ;  but  the  boys  winked  at  each  other  and 
submitted.  First  their  valets  coated  whatever  por- 
tions of  the  body  were  not  covered  by  the  sarape  and 
leggings  with  roucon,  or  a  pigment  from  the  annatto 
berry ;  then  they  proceeded,  as  Tom  expressed  it, 
"  to  do  the  ornamental,"  by  drawing  various  colored 
stripes  across  their  cheeks  and  foreheads. 

Tom  could  hardly  contain  himself  while  all  this 
was  gravely  going  on  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  toilet  was 
completed,  he  sank  down,  overcome  with  silent  laugh- 
ter, while  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks  so  fast  as  to 
threaten  to  wash  away  all  his  decorations. 

"O  John!"  he  whispered,  "I'd  give  a  dollar  if 
you  could  see  yourself !  You  look  just  like  the 
tattooed  man  in  Barnum's.  You  only  want  a  little 
red  on  your  nose  to  be  a  first-class  aurora  borealis." 

John  could  but  laugh  as  he  gazed  at  Tom  for 
a  reflection  of  his  own  probable  appearance  ;  he  felt 
the  process  of  adoption  was  rather  more  picturesque 
than  was  needful.  Still  the  question  of  the  good 
faith  of  the  adoption  was  enough  to  sober  him. 


"  Hello ! "  said  he  ;  "  here  they  come  again.  And, 
Tom,  they  are  going  to  trust  us  with  our  pistols  and 
guns.  That  looks  well." 

During  these  slow  toilet  processes  the  Indians  had 
kept  in  the  background ;  but  now  Chief  Christobal 
advanced  and  embraced  them,  wishing  them  good- 
morning,  and  gazing  upon  them  admiringly.  John's 
fine  figure  really  showed  well  in  the  Maya  costume, 
and  the  chief  patted  him  on  the  shoulder  affection- 
ately, "JBien,  hijo  mio  .>  —  well  done,  my  son." 

Now  that  it  was  daylight  they  saw  more  fully  what 
a  magnificent  man  was  this  chief  of  the  Sublevados. 
He  was  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  both  face  and 
figure  were  handsome.  His  men  were  rather  under 
medium  height,  but  robust  and  well-shaped.  Their 
countenances  were  not  ferocious  ;  they  indicated  tem- 
pers fiery  and  strong,  but  held  in  check.  They  had 
buried  their  dead  during  the  night,  and  only  the 
presence  of  the  wounded,  and  some  blood-stains  on 
the  stone  floor,  told  of  the  desperate  struggle. 
Christobal  showed  no  traces  of  the  mate's  mighty 
grip  on  his  throat.  But  the  boys  were  touched  when 
they  saw  the  wounded  lying  helplessly  about.  John 
examined  one  after  another,  wishing  for  the  box  of 
medicines  he  had  placed  in  the  boat  when  they  left 
Cozumel.  Christobal  watched  both  his  movements 
and  his  face  attentively.  Presently  he  sent  some 
men  down  the  cliff. 
When  they  returned, 
they  bore  not  only  the 
box  of  medicines,  but 
nearly  all  the  boat  had 
contained. 

The  boys  looked  at 
each  other  in  dismay. 
Had  the  boat,  had  the 
mate  and  Don  Pedro 
been  captured  ! 

Christobal  laid  his 
hand  on  John's  should- 
er. Smiling,  he  beck- 
oned them  to  follow. 
He  took  them  to  the 

top  of  the  watch-tower,  pointed  out  a  shining  speck 
in  the  sunlight,  a  white  sail  far  over  toward  Coz- 
umel. 

With  wondrous  kindness  for  a  savage,  Christobal 
explained  how  their  companions  escaped  by  shooting 
two  Indians,  who  had  found  the  boat,  and  had  removed 
nearly  everything  from  it,  and  then  cutting  the  moor- 


GRINDING    CORN   FOR    TORTILLAS. 


THE    SILVER     CITY. 


ings,  and  pushing  beyond  reach  of  the  pursuers  coming 

over  the  cliff. 

Both  the  wounded  and  the  well  displayed  gratitude 
as  John  and  Tom  went  to  and  fro  dressing  wounds. 
John  felt  almost  sure  they  had  now  their  good  will. 

Breakfast  was  next  offered  them.  In  a  remote 
building,  two  of  the  Maya  women  had  been  busy 
preparing  corn-cakes,  and  baking  them  over  a  quick 
fire.  They  crushed  the  corn  upon  a  flat  stone,  by 
rolling  over  it  a  round  one,  until  it  was  almost  as  fine 
as  flour.  Then  they  quickly  made  a  paste,  and  spread- 
ing it  thinly  over  another  hot  stone,  quickly  baked  it. 
These  were  the  famous  tortillas,  the  corn-bread 
that  these  people  have  prepared  in  the  same  manner 
for  hundreds  of  years.  These  cakes  were  now  brought 
on  palm  leaves,  and  placed  upon  an  altar-top.  A  sav- 
ory stew  of  deer  meat  and  wild  turkey  was  also  set 
before  them,  served  in  bowls  made  of  calabash  shells. 

Christobal  explained  during  the  repast,  that  being 
a  war  party  they  were  without  much  provisions,  and 
promised  better  things  when  they  should  arrive  at  his 
stronghold,  which  was  several  days'  march,  and  which 
he  was  going  to  start  for  at  once.  He  and  the  boys 
only  "  ate  at  the  first  table,"  and  by  observing  him 
they  soon  managed  to  eat  Mexican  fashion,  without 
knife  or  fork.  A  tortilla  served  as  a  plate  —  being 
flat,  broad  and  round  —  on  this  they  placed  meat, 
beans  or  child,  and  ate  it  by  means  of  a  piece  of 
another  tortilla  rolled  up  like  a  spoon.  When 
through,  Christobal  ate  his  spoon  and  then  his  plate. 
Following  his  example,  the  board  was  literally 
cleared.  Orders  were  issued  to  break  camp  at  once. 

Long  before  noon  all  was  in  readiness.     A  group 


of  men  approached  with  two  rude  palanquins,  or 
litters,  made  by  stretching  elastic  vines  between  a 
framework  of  poles,  over  which  was  a  roof  of  light 
poles  thatched  with  leaves.  A  layer  of  palm  leaves 
at  the  bottom  made  a  springy  mattress,  and  a  roll  of 
manias  a  pillow.  Tom  and  John  were  assisted  each 
into  his  litera,  which  four  men  took  upon  their 
shoulders,  and  the  line  of  march  was  begun.  Ahead 
went  men  with  machetes,  or  great  knives,  to  cut  the 
way,  and  behind  them  marched  the  dusky  warriors. 
Chief  Christobal  was  borne  in  front  in  another  litera. 
The  wounded  were  behind  similarly  conveyed. 

Tom  actually  chuckled 
aloud  with  delight. 
"John,  we're  right  along 
in  the  procession,  ain't 
we  ? "  he  called  back. 

But  John,  alone  now 
to  reflect,  was  not  so  light 
of  heart.  Despite  the 
change  in  the  manner  of 
the  Indians,  he  saw  no 
positive  assurance  that 
they  were  not  two  victims 
intended  for  sacrifice.  He  well  knew  from  books, 
that  such  victims  were  not  looked  upon  with  hate,  but 
rather  with  good  will ;  and  he  saw  in  the  homage 
paid  them,  a  possible  omen  of  danger.  They  cer- 
tainly were  prisoners,  though  with  willing  servitors  as 
captors.  All  that  long,  hot  day,  as  they  travelled 
through  the  steaming  forest,  this  question  tortured  him : 

"  What  do  they  mean  to  do  with  -us  ?  " 


MAYA   COOKING   UTENSILS. 


THREE    HAPPY    PRISONERS. 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


39 


A     GREAT     MAGICIAN. 


YELLOW  MACAW. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


OHN  NORTH  was  not  a 
coward.  He  was  serious, 
reflective,  and,  despite  his 
many  romantic  dreams  and 
projects,  he  instinctively 
weighed  both  sides  of  a 
question.  Once  having 
made  up  his  mind,  no 
danger  could  deter  him 
from  carrying  out  a  plan. 
But  he  felt  uneasy,  re- 
morseful, because  his 
search  for  his  father  had  drawn  others  into  trouble  so 
serious. 

To  be  sure  Tom's  jolly  view  of  the  situation  some- 
what relieved  him.  He  experienced  a  constant  sur- 
prise at  the  way  Tom  accepted  anything  seen  to  be 
inevitable.  "  Hang  sorrow,  care  will  kill  a  cat," 
seemed  to  be  Tom's  motto.  He  would  not  listen  to 
John's  apprehensions. 

"  Pshaw,  John,"  he  laughed  :  "  don't  go  to  bor- 
rowing trouble.  Just  you  look  at  things  as  they 
actually  are,  not  as  they  might,  could,  would  or 
should  be.  Here  we  be  carried  along  like  princes  on 
the  shoulders  of  men  who  are  appinted  our  slaves. 
Just  look  at  'em,  smilin'  up  at  us  whenever  we  conde- 
scend to  look  their  way.  How  long'd  you  have  to 
live  Down  East  before  the  people'd  turn  out  and 
wheel  yer  in  a  wheelbarrow,  let  alone  a-totin'  you  on 
their  shoulders !  It's  a  shame  to  slander  these 
Injuns,  even  in  your  heart.  I'm  ready  to  fight  for 
'em  instid  of  against  'em.  The  late  onpleasantness 
was  simply  because  they  didn't  know  who  we  were." 
"  Perhaps  I  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  distrust,"  said 
John  with  a  faint  smile.  "But  it  wasn't  on  my  own 
account,  Tom." 

"Well,  you  chirk  up,  then.  I'm  goin'  to  be  happy 
till  I  see  the  executioner  comin'  for  me  with  his  knife, 
and  then  I'll  bet  I'll  manage  to  trip  him  up  and  offer 
him  to  his  own  idols.  Besides,"  continued  Tom, 


"they've  given  us  all  our  weapons ;  you've  got  your 
gun  and  revolver,  and  I  my  pistol  and  rifle,  and  all 
the  cartridges  we  want.  In  fact,  I  think  they  are 
rather  timorous  about  our  guns  lying  about  anyway. 
They've  got  nothing  theirselves  but  spears  and  bows 
and  arrers.  We're  the  dangerous  party  at  present,  I 
take  it.  Le's  think  of  something  else.  Say !  how 
about  your  stuffin'  birds  ?  Your  institute  work  don't 
come  on  very  fast,  does  it  ? " 

"  No,"  said  John.  "  We've  just  been  hurried  from 
one  accident  to  another  all  the  time." 

"  Well,"  said  Tom  shrewdly,  "  I  should  say  you 
might  improve  this  'ere  present  accident.  All  your 
stuffin'  things  are  here,  for  them  Injuns  have  saved1 
everything  of  ours,  and  are  bringing  'em  along  as  if 
they  was  sacred." 

"  Tom,  you're  right.  Even  if  I  can't  save  the 
specimens  I  preserve,  it  will  be  a  diversion.  It  will 
give  us  something  to  think  about." 

They  were  journeying  in  a  vast  forest.  It  was. 
open  underneath,  and  the  sunlight  lighted  it  even 
down  to  the  flat  coral  rock  that  forms  all  the  under 
stratum  of  Yucatan,  upon  which  the  giant  trees, 
spread  their  roots.  It  was  a  lively  scene  to  a  natural- 
ist's eye.  Every  tree  and  bush  seemed  to  contain  a 
new  bird  or  butterfly.  John  observed  many  orioles 
like  our  golden  robin,  only  brighter  and  more  worthy 
the  name  of  "  fire  bird ;  " 
and  instead  of  one  spe- 
cies, he  noted  half  a 
dozen.  There  were  few 
familiar  birds,  but  before 
the  day  waned  he  count- 
ed hundreds  new  and 
strange.  Their  Indian 
pages,bright-eyed, tawny- 
skinned  striplings  of  six- 
teen, who  ran  by  the  side 
of  their  litters,  delighted 

in  pronouncing  the  names  of  both  birds  and  trees. 
They  spoke  in  Maya,  a  musical  tongue,  but  John  wrote 
down  the  distinctly  uttered  names.  He  was  particu- 
larly interested  in  the  cha-cha-la-ka,  a  bird  like  our 


THE    CAT    CARE    KILLED. 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


ruffled  grouse,  but  smaller,  and  with  a  longer  tail;  the 
Mayas  must  have  named  it  from  its  cry.     It  was  very 


CARRIED   ALONG   LIKE    PRINCES. 


shy,  and  would  wait  till  they  were  quite  near,  then 
fly  away  with  a  great  rattle  of  cha-cha-la-ka !  cha-cha- 
la-ka  ! 

All  John's  old-time  longing  for  new  hunting-fields 
and  new  specimens,  came  strong  upon  him.  "Tom," 
he  cried  excitedly,  "  I  must  get  some  of  these  birds. 
The  Professor  would  be  delighted  with  them  :  we 
may  pass  out  of  their  region  and  I  miss  them  thus ! " 

Tom  was  overjoyed  to  see  his  comrade's  wakening 
interest.  "  If  I  was  you,"  said  he,  "  I'd  shoot  some 
as  I  went  along  and  then  skin  and  stuff  'em  when  we 
make  a  halt.  At  the  worst,  they'll  only  be  to  throw 
away,  and  you  may  get  them  through." 

John  was  a  good  shot.  His  long  collecting  practice 
in  the  New  England  woods  had  perfected  his  aim. 
The  neighbors  had  always  said  that  when  John  North 
sighted  a  bird  over  a  gun  barrel,  it  was  as  good 
as  dead.  It  is  pleasant  to  know  that  he  never 
"  sighted  "  one  as  mere  sportsman's  pleasure. 

This  was  the  reason  he  had  not  shot  birds  on  ship- 
board, when  the  sea-birds  came  about  by  hundreds  ; 
why  he  had  not  hunted  in  Cozumel :  he  could  not 


then  preserve  their  skins  properly  for  the  museum. 

A  bright-banded  parrot  was  chattering  noisily  in 
a  tall  tree-top.  The  procession  was  filing  across  an 
open  glade.  Without  stopping  the  men,  John  raised 
himself  in  the  litera,  brought  the  gun  to  his  shoulder, 
and  fired. 

The  Indians  were  for  a  moment  thrown  into  con- 
sternation. As  they  looked  about  for  a  reason  for 
the  shot,  the  parrot  came  tumbling  down  from  his 
high  perch,  and  fell  into  John's  litter.  It  \vas  a 
chance  aim,  a  chance  fall,  but  these  dusky  aborigines 
seemed  to  look  upon  the  occurrence  as  supernatural. 

They  approached  the  young  North  American 
reverently.  The  bearers  of  his  Htera,  at  a  sign  from 
Christobal,  lowered  it  to  the  ground. 

John  held  up  the  parrot.  It  was  stone  dead. 
Christobal  gave  a  low  command  to  two  Indians. 
They  departed,  ranging  the  woods.  In  ten  minutes 
they  returned.  Christobal  produced  a  small  bronze 
cup.  In  it  he  placed  the  lumps  of  gum  copal  which 
the  men  had  collected.  This  he  lighted.  A  rich 
perfume  stole  forth.  Three  times  the  chief  walked 
about  John  swinging  his  censer  until  the  fragrant 
smoke  enveloped  him.  The  same  ceremony  was 
accorded  Tom.  Not  a  word  was  spoken.  The 
literas  were  then  lifted  and  the  first  inarch  resumed. 

"How'd  you  like  that  ?"  demanded  Tom  as  soon  as 
they  were  once  more  moving. 

"Well,  it's  rather  a  novel  sensation,"  said  John,  "  to 
sit  and  have  incense  burned  before  you.  But  I 
remember  reading  in  my  old  book  about  just  such  a 
performance  when  the  Spaniards  first  landed  on  the 
shore  of  Yucatan, 
in  1517.  For  the 
first  time  in  the 
New  World  they 
saw  houses  of  stone, 
like  those  \vhose 
ruins  we  were  in 
last  night.  The 
Indians  came  out 
to  meet  them,  and 
before  they  would 
communicate  with 
them,  their  priests 
fumigated  them 
with  incense  just 
as  these  Indians  — 
their  descendants  —  have  done  to  us.  It  has  never 
been  settled  whether  they  thought  the  Spaniards  were 


THE    HOCCO,   ONE    OF   THE   STRANGE 
BIRDS. 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


WILD    TURKEY. 


gods  —  as  in  the  Bahamas  —  or  whether  they  ought 
to  be  fumigated  to  render  them  fit  for  acquaintance." 
"Well,  in  our  case,  it's  probably  gods."  laughed 
Tom.  "  I  rather  think  they  intend  to  set  us  up 
on  pedestals  and  fall  down  and  worship  us,  when 

they  git  us  to  their  town. 
Hello!"  he  broke  off. 
"I  say,  John,  look  at 
them  big  birds  running 
through  the  woods  —  there 
over  to  the  right !  big  as 
turkeys  —  they  are  tur- 
keys !  where's  your  gun  ? 
Halt  the  men  !  Let's  git 
down !  Quick !  there's 
another !  " 

Christobal  had  noticed 
Tom's  gesticulations.  He 
ordered  a  halt.  He  came  to  John's  side.  John  in 
his  rude  Spanish  explained. 

"  My  men  will  get  you  many,"  said  Christobal, 
smiling. 

"  I  long  to  shoot  one  myself,"  said  John. 
"  Bien.     This  boy  will  show  you   where   to   find 
them.     But  your  gun  is  not  loaded." 

The  chief  evidently  had  seen  only  old-fashioned 
firearms,  like  those  the  English  of  Belize  sold  the 
Indians  ;  never  a  breech-loader. 

John  had  managed  to  slip  a  cartridge  in  unper- 
ceived  —  a  paper  shell  loaded  with  large  turkey 
shot.  "  Always  loaded,"  said  he  impressively,  per- 
ceiving the  chief's  ignorance. 

Christobal  repeated  the  words  to  his  followers. 
All  fell  back  in  silence.  They  regarded  the  mysterious 
gun  with  an  expression  of  mingled  cautiousness  and 
amazement. 

One  of  the  young  Indians,  at  a  signal  from  the 
chief,  led  the  way  the  turkeys  had  gone,  the  whole 
band  turning  to  look,  waiting,  wondering. 

John  had  swung  his  game  bag  over  his  shoulders  ; 
his  gun  lay  in  the  hollow  of  his  arm.  He  followed 
the  half-naked  lad  with  long,  eager  strides.  The  chase 
stirred  the  blood  in  his  veins.  The  Indian  stopped, 
pointed ;  in  sight  was  a  flock  with  a  great  gobbler  at 
the  head,  marching  unsuspiciously  along,  flashing  and 
shimmering  like  strange  peacocks.  John  raised  his 
double-barreled  gun ;  a  puff  of  smoke  darted  out,  then 
a  report.  Two  turkeys  fell  to  the  ground.  The  rest 
were  all  in  the  air  in  a  second,  whirring  or  else  crash- 
ing through  the  underbrush,  right  across  his  path. 


He  turned,  threw  up  the  gun  again,  aimed  a  foot: 
ahead  of  the  swiftly-flying  birds,  and  pulled  the  trigger. 
The  leader  fell  like  lead,  right  at  Christobal's  feet, 
where  it  fluttered  a  moment,  then  lay  still. 

The  Indians  were  astonished.  What  must  he  be 
who  was  endowed  with  a  gun  with  two  barrels,  that 
loaded  itself,  that  killed  more  than  one  bird  at  a  time ! 
and  never  before  had  they  seen  a  bird  shot  on  the 
wing.  This  young  man  must  be  nearly  related  to 
the  powers  of  the  air,  if  not  one  of  them. 

John  could  easily  read  all  this  on  those  unfeigning 
faces.  Taking  advantage  of  their  amazement,  with 
almost  no  perceptible  movement,  he  slipped  two 
more  cartridges  into  his  gun. 

The  reports  had  startled  the  turkeys  in  all  direc- 
tions, and  they  were  flying  wildly  through  the  forest. 
Two  noble  birds  came  crashing  and  sparkling  through 
the  near  tree-tops  like  meteors.  They  were  most 
magnificent  specimens  weighing  at  least  twenty  pounds 
apiece.  They  were  a  rod  apart.  Up  went  the  mys- 
terious gun.  The  foremost  doubled  up  like  a  crump- 
led paper  at  the  report,  and  came  whirling  to  the 
ground  in  a  cloud  of  flashing  feathers.  Without 
turning  his  eye,  or  removing  the  gun  from  his  shoul- 
der, John  fired  the  second  barrel,  and  the  other 
turkey  followed  in  the  track  of  the  first.  Then,  while 
the  smoke  was  yet  curling  from  the  muzzle,  he  drew 
out  the  exploded  cartridges,  and  slipped  in  two  more. 

The  entire  band  was  thunderstruck.  Christobal 
stood  pressing  his  hand  to  his  brow.  Presently 
he  gathered  his  manta  about  him,  and  with  a  majestic 
wave  of  his  hand  silenced  the  murmurs  of  admiration. 

"  My  son,  thou  hast  done  what  none  in  Maya  has 
ever  done  before.  Still  I  will  risk  the  future  —  thine 
and  mine.  I  have  dared  much  for  thee,  thou  wilt 
soon  learn;  thou  art  henceforward  to  be  chief  of  a 
band  of  thy  own.  I,  Christobal,  will  it  so  ;  here  and 
now  I  appoint  thee  next  in  power  and  authority  to 
myself." 

Turning,  he  singled  out  ten  of  the  handsomest 
young  men,  tall,  slender,  with  animated  faces. 

"  These,  "  said  he,  "  are  thy  body-guard.  Night 
and  day  they  will  attend  thee." 

The  young  men  approached,  one  by  one,  and  tak- 
ing John's  right  hand,  each  placed  it  upon  his  fore- 
head, bowing  to  his  feet. 

The  line  of  march  was  again  formed.  The  body- 
guard with  bows,  arrows,  clubs  and  spears,  formed 
around  the  litera  containing  their  young  chief.  Thus 
they  travelled  till  late  in  the  afternoon^ 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


"  See  what  you  get  by  following  my  sage  advice  ? " 
queried  Tom  when  they  were  well  under  way.  "  If  it 
hadn't  been  for  me  you  wouldn't  thought  of  your 
birds.  And  yit,  here  I'm  left  out  in  the  cold,  with 
no  body-guard  nor  nothin'." 

But  John  spoke  gravely  in  reply:  "Tom,  all  I  get 
I  will  share  with  you." 

"  By  the  way,  "  said  Tom,  "  do  you  s'pose  they 
s'picioned  what's  in  the  belts  we  had  round  our  bod- 
ies when  they  saw  us  change  our  clo's  for  their  war 
paint  ?  And  how  much  have  we  got  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  their  robbing  us,"  said  John. 
<l  We  have  a  little  over  a  hundred  dollars  apiece,  in 
.gold,  besides  a  few  bank  bills  that  are  of  no  use  in 
this  country.  In  fact,  :ur  gold  is  not  good  here;  we 
are  like  Robinson  Crusoe  after  he  had  all  the  gold 
in  the  ship,  for  nobody  knows  its  value. 

"  Well,  it  will  keep.  I  hope  to  see  the  time  when 
'we  can  spend  it.  But,  John,  why  don't  you  ever 
talk!  you  ain't  given  up  hopin'  to  find  track  of  your 
father,  have  you?" 

"  Given  him  up  !   hardly,  Tom." 

"  That's  the  talk,  my  young  chief ;  now  I  want  you 
to  understand  that  I'm  rather  taken  with  that  project 
myself.  You've  got  that  old  book  all  safe,  the  Con- 
quest, you  know  ? " 

"  Safe  in  my  haversack ;  and  do  you  know,  Tom, 
I  think  we  are  going  straight  to  the  Silver  City ! 
Why,  I  feel  to-day  as  though  we  were  almost  a  part 
of  that  old  book  !  If  I  understand  the  region,  we  are 
certainly  moving  in  its  general  direction." 

"  Shouldn't  wonder,"  said  Tom.  "  Shouldn't  won- 
der at  anything." 

"  It's  just  strange  and  wild  enough  to  be  true," 
said  John.  "  And  when  I  have  learned  more  Spanish, 
or  better  yet,  a  little  Maya,  I  shall  inquire  cautiously 
of  the  chief." 

"So  I  would.  It's  pleasant  enough  being  carried 
along  this  way,  day  after  day,  laying  on  our  backs 
and  safe  as  in  our  cradles,  but  still  I'd  like  to  know 
where  we're  going  to  fetch  up,  as  the  feller  said  when 
he'd  tried  the  flyin'-machine  and  fell  into  the  cow- 
yard." 

"  Well,"  said  John,  "  so  long  as  we  travel  south- 
wardly, and  these  Indians  are  friendly,  I've  no 
objection,  for  in  that  direction  lies  the  city,  if  it  lies 
anywhere." 

In  this  manner  they  went  on,  chatting  whenever 
the  literas  came  near  together,  and  enjoying  philo- 
sophically al'  that  came  in  their  way.  They  made  a 


short  stop  about  noon,  but  only  to  dip  some  water 
out  of  a  smote  and  to  munch  some  dry  tortillas. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  they  came  to  a  place  selected 
for  camp.  The  machete  bearers  had  gone  ahead, 
and  with  their  sharp  knives  had  cleared  of  its  under- 
brush a  little  knoll  crowned  with  great  trees.  When 
the  band  arrived  fires  were  blazing,  and  the  tortilla 
women  busy  over  their  primitive  mills  grinding  corn. 

After  their  literas  had  been  placed  on  the  ground, 
and  their  various  luggage  deposited  near,  John 
requested  Christobal  to  allow  him  to  skin  the  finest 
turkey  before  the  cooks  should  have  deprived  the 
fowl  of  its  feathers. 

And  why  should  John  care  for  a  turkey  skin  ? 

Well,  there   are  three   species  of   wild  turkey  in 


THE   TRIBUTE    OF    INCENSE. 


North  America.  The  most  beautiful  of  the  three  is 
this  one  of  Yucatan,  familiarly  known  as  the  Hon- 
duras turkey.  Ours  of  the  United  States,  now  found 
in  Florida  and  the  Southwest,  is  a  larger  bird,  and 
the  best  known.  Ours  bears  the  Latin  name  of  Melea- 
gris  galloparo.  Then  there  is  another,  in  Mexico, 
called  Meleagris  Mexicana,  much  smaller;  this  glori- 
ous bird  of  Yucatan  is  called  Meleagris  ocellatus. 
Wasn't  it  Benjamin  Franklin  who  thought  the  tur 


THE    SILVER    CITY. 


43 


IN    MIGRATION. 


key  should  have  been 
our  national  bird  ? 
Whoever  it  was,  he 
was  right ;  for  we 
have  none  other  so 
truly  American. 

As  I  have  said,  no 
other  of  the  family 
can  compare  with  the 
Yucatan  turkey  in 
beauty  of  plumage. 
It  is  our  American 
peacock.  Its  very 

name,  ocellatus,  signifies'  something  of  its  beauty  — 
large  eyes,  or  spots,  of  blue,  which  enamel  the  long 
tail,  surrounded  by  circles  of  brilliant  yellow  and  pur- 
ple. Its  wings  are  like  burnished  gold  and  copper, 
and  when  the  sun  shines  on  its  glossy  black,  it  reflects 
every  color  of  the  rainbow. 

It  was  with  a  sense  of  exultation  that  John  took 
this  gorgeous  creature  in  hand  to  prepare  him  for 
preservation.  It  seemed  a  sin  to  crumple  such  beauti- 
fully burnished  plumage  ;  but  he  reflected  that  there 
were  not  four  in  all  the  museums  of  the  United 
States,  and  how  rejoiced  the  Professor  would  be 
to  secure  specimens  of  so  rare  a  bird  ;  and  he  expe- 
rienced a  keen  feeling  of  pleasure  and  triumph.  By 
the  time  the  gorgeous  skin  was  prepared  and  stuffed 
with  cotton  to  its  natural  shape,  it  was  sundown  ;  and 
his  Indian  hosts  had  supper  in  waiting. 

It  was  plain  beyond  question  that  Christobal  and 
all  his  men  now  regarded  him  as  a  magician ;  as  a 
necromancer,  or  medicine  man.  They  could  scarcely 
take  their  eyes  off  the  stuffed  skin  which  lay  there 
the  exact  counterfeit  of  the  bird. 

Some  of  them  stroked  it  softly,  then  hurriedly  drew 
their  hands  away,  as  if  afraid  some  spell  surrounded 
it ;  and  then  talking  together  in  low  tones,  congrat- 
ulated themselves  that  a  wonder-worker  had  come 
into  their  tribe.  Over  Christobal's  grave  face  strange 


expressions  passed ;  now  of  anxiety,  now  of  exultation. 

That  night  the  two  pages  were  comparing  notes 
as  they  lay  on  the  ground  apart  from  the  others. 

"  I  like  my  new  master,"  said  Tom's  servant, 
"  because  he  always  laughs  whin  he  speaks." 

"  And  I  like  mine  —  the  young  wise  man,"  returned 
John's  boy,  speaking  thoughtfully,  "  because  he 
doesn't  laugh  so  much,  and  his  eyes  think,  think, 
think." 

The  next  morn  they  learned  that  they  were  within 
thirty  miles  of  Chan  Santa  Cruz,  the  Maya  capital, 
and  that  probably  they  might  reach  it  by  nightfall. 

It  was  noon  before  they  again  stopped.  The 
way  had  been  through  dense  forest  of  copal,  liquid 
amber,  and  cedar.  They  had  now  reached  the  edge 
of  a  plain.  They  halted  under  the  border  trees. 
Tom,  from  his  high  perch,  had  discovered  a  curious 
yellow  cloud  moving  slowly  over  the  plain,  which 
stretched  away  before  them  till  bounded  by  a  line 
of  blue  hills.  The  cloud,  now  watched  by  both  John 
and  Tom,  drew  nearer  and  nearer.  It  wavered  and 
fluttered,  rose  and  fell  with  the  breeze,  and  when 
quite  near  they  saw  it  was  composed  of  butterflies. 

A  cloud  of  butterflies  in  migration  to  the  forest. 
It  was  an  hour  before  it  had  passed.  There  must 
have  been  millions — billions.  They  were  sulphur- 
yellow,  with  pale  spots  on  their  wings.  Christobal 
much  enjoying  their  wonder  at  the  wonders  of  his 
country,  explained  that  other  clouds  would  follow, 
some  blue,  some  green,  and  some  again  yellow. 

After  a  light  meal  the  Indians  again  trudged  on. 
John's  guard  of  honor  kept  close,  anticipating  every 
want,  their  dark  faces  breaking  into  smiles  when  he 
spoke.  But  it  was  a  tedious  progress.  The  hot 
plain  was  covered  with  dry  grass;  little  clumps  of 
trees  alone  gave  shade  at  intervals. 

It  was  drawing  near  sunset  when  they  reached 
outlying  fields  of  cotton,  then  sugar-cane.  Little  huts 
squatted  here  and  there  in  gardens  of  tropical  plants. 
These  grew  more  numerous.  Presently  they  entered 


44 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


a  long  narrow  lane  between  hedges  of  wild  plants. 

Apparently  the  entire  population  came  down  to 
meet  them  with  shouts  of  welcome ;  and  at  last  they 
halted  in  a  green  square  before  a  large  thatched 
house. 

They  were  in  the  Indian  capital,  in  Chan  Santa 
Cruz. 

In  many  years  no  one  had  seen  a  white  man  in 
that  whole  region.  The  few  people  who  recollected 
this  event  were  old  and  white  headed.  They  re- 
garded the  young  strangers  with  a  strange  expres- 
sion. Hardly  less  strange  were  the  looks  they  cast 
upon  Christobal,  their  war  chief,  but  with  great  solem- 
nity they  set  apart  a  house  for  the  captives,  and  then 


been  welcomed  and  reserved  for  torture,  the  offenders 
had  been  put  to  death. 

The  council  chamber  was  crowded.  The  great 
cacique  sat  upon  a  rude  throne  hung  with  tiger  skins ; 
those  next  in  civil  rank  were  grouped  about  him. 
Christobal's  warriors  were  there,  stalwart  savages, 
naked  to  the  waist,  who  would  have  fought  for  their 
beloved  chief  to  the  death ;  but  they,  likewise,  were 
under  oath  to  respect  the  laws.  Christobal  stood 
forth  to  speak  : 

"Fathers,  brothers,  ye  know  me.  I  am  Chris- 
tobal ! " 

"  You  are  Christobal,  the  white  man's  foe !" 

"  Ye  know  I  would  not  lightly  break  the  laws — 


IT   FELL   AT   T] 


the  tocsin  beat  for  council.  Christobal  was  arraigned. 
Christobal  was  their  war  chief ;  but  he  was  amenable 
to  the  civil  authorities.  He  had  transgressed  an 
ancient  law  of  the  tribe  —  he  had  captured  two  prison- 
ers, when  he  should  have  killed  both.  By  their  sacred 
tribal  laws,  the  chief  forfeited  his  own  life  for  this 
transgression.  Rarely  had  such  offence  been  com- 
mitted, and  in  those  instances,  after  the  captives  had 


T    OF   THE   CACIQUE. 

the  sacred  commands  of  our  ancestors.  But  who  are 
these  prisoners?  Are  they  Spaniards,  accursed  en- 
slavers of  our  race  ? " 

"Are  they  not?"  asked  the  cacique. 

"They  are  not." 

"  Are  they  Mestizos,  in  whose  veins  flows  the  cor- 
rupted blood  of  our  brother  Mayas  ? " 

"No!" 


THE     SILVER     CITY. 


45 


"  Fathers,  brothers,  they  are  strangers  from  the 
North ! "  uttered  Christobal  impressively. 

The  great  cacique  started,  and  clutched  the  sides 
of  his  throne. 

"They  are  Americanos!"  continued  Christobal. 
The  cacique  arose  in  excitement.     "  Bring  them 
in  !  "  he  cried. 

John  and  Tom  were  conducted  to  the  council 
chamber,  dimly  lighted 
by  smoking  torches  of 
ocote,  or  pine  wood. 

"Luck's  changed," 
whispered  Tom;  "that 
old  duffer  on  the  throne 
there's  cock  of  the  walk. 
Shouldn't  wonder  if  our 
time  had  come." 

The  young  men  were 
OWLS.  in  their  Indian  garb,  and 

the   cacique    could    not 

conceal    his    admiration   as   he   glanced   at  John's 
straight  figure  and  met  the  fearless  glance  of  his  eye. 
"They  are  not  Spaniards  nor  Mexicans,"  he  said 
after  a  prolonged  gaze. 

At  a  signal,  the  guard  of  honor  escorted  them  back 
to  their  quarters. 

"Ye  know,"  continued  the  war  chief,  "our  tradi- 
tions; that  from  the  North  came  Quetzalcoatl,  God 
of  the  Air,  the  'Feathered  Serpent '  whom  our  ances- 
tors called  Ku-kul-can.  To  him  we  owe  our  sacred 
religion ;  he  taught  us  the  art  of  building  our  temples 
and  palaces;  he  taught  us  agriculture  and  the  weav- 
ing of  hemp  and  spinning  of  cotton.  When  his  mis- 
sion was  ended  he  left  us  and  went  back  to  his  abode 
in  the  North.  Our  forefathers  beheld  him  enter  his 
winged  canoa  of  serpent  skins,  and  embark  with  his 
retinue.  All  the  population  of  our  ancient  cities  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  coast,  entreating  him  to  return ;  and 
at  the  last  moment,  he  promised  to  send  a  wise  man 
from  the  region  of  the  Snow  King.  We  have  looked 
for  that  messenger  many  hundred  years  in  vain,  have 
we  not?  Our  sentinels  have  paeed  with  weary  feet 
the  roof-tops  of  our  temples,  greeting  every  morning 
the  rising  of  the  sun  as  the  dawn  of  that  new  day  in 
which  this  herald  was  to  arrive. 

"In  Tuloom,  that  deserted  city  of  our  fathers,  I 
encountered  these  white  strangers.  I  knew  not 
whence  they  came.  There  were  four;  two  escaped  by 
the  subterraneo,  but  that  trap  prepared  so  many  years 
ago  fell,  and  alloted  us  these  two.  I  questioned, 


moved  by  the  gods.  Lo,  they  were  from  the  North ! 
Did  I  not  well  ?  " 

"  Thou  hast  not  done  ill,  but  I  see  nought  super- 
human in  these  strangers,  that  they  are  sent  hither 
by  Quetzalcoatl." 

"Thou  hast  not  seen  all.  The  elder  bears  with 
him  a  wonder  engine  in  which  are  confined  the  forces 
of  the  elements,  thunder  and  lightning." 

"  With  that  same  weapon  met  the  Spaniards  our 
ancestors  three  centuries  ago,"  replied  the  cacique. 

"  True  ;  but  when  once  it  had  spit  forth  its  fire  and 
lead  it  rested.  This  is  ever  filled  with  death ;  with  it 
he  destroys  the  birds  of  the  air  as  they  cleave  the 
clouds.  Yea,  though  they  speed  on  like  the  wind." 

"  We  have  seen  it  !  "   thundered  forth  the  warriors. 

"  I,  too,  would  see,"  said  the  cacique ;  "  order 
them  forth  into  the  square  where  the  birds  of  night 
wing  the  upper  darkness.  If  I  behold  any  miracle, 
then  will  I  pardon  thee." 

So  saying,  the  cacique  strode  into  the  central  square, 
followed  by  the  warriors  and  the  council. 

"Thy  life,"  whispered  Christobal  as  he  placed  the 
gun  in  John's  hand,  "  is  the  forfeit  if  thou  failest ; 
thy  life  and  mine  !  " 

Darkness  was  settling  fast.  A  thousand  eyes  were 
straining  for  a  glimpse  of  the  mysterious  marksman. 
Myriads  of  swifts  and  bats  were  sporting  in  the 
warm  heavy  air  overhead,  and  now  and  then  a 
night  hawk,  or  an  owl,  sailed  through  the  upper 
atmosphere. 

"  Point  me  the  bird  he  would  have,"  said  John 
to  Christobal  quietly. 

A  great  bird  came  flapping  out  of  the  west,  its 
black  form  indistinct  and  weird  in  the  gloom.  Softly 
it  sailed  along,  its  broad  wings  fanning  with  regular 
strokes. 

The  cacique  raised  his  hand,  pointing.  The  bird 
sailed  above  as  if  circling  about  for  prey  ;  higher  and 
higher  it  rose.  "  He  will  miss  it,"  Tom  whispered 
to  himself.  "  He  waits  too  long." 

A  jet  of  flame  leaped  out  of  the  darkness,  followed 
by  a  roar  that  disturbed  the  silence  of  the  heavy 
tropic  night  like  the  explosion  of  a  cannon.  Before 
its  echoes  had  died,  a  shrill  shriek  came  down  from 
the  clouds,  but  the  winged  creature  still  went  up 
higher,  higher,  till  lost  to  sight. 

The  cacique  looked  gravely  at  Christobal :  "  Where 
is  thy  miracle  ?  " 

But  presently,  with  a  wild  sound  from  the  crowd,  a 
dark  mass  appeared  in  the  warm  darkness,  rapidly 


THE    SILVER     CITY. 


descending,  and  growing  larger  until  it  fell  straight 
to  the  feet  of  the  cacique.  Its  crooked  claws 
clutched  his  trailing  robe,  and  at  the  moment  it 
looked  reproachfully  up  into  his  face,  the  death-gur- 
gle sounded  in  its  throat. 

A  prolonged  wailing  cry  rose  from  the  square. 

The  cacique  stood  stupefied.  John  rested  on  his 
gun,  waiting  with  some  curiosity  the  signification  of 
the  sudden  and  universal  dismay. 

"  It  is  the  owl  ! "  whispered  Christobal  in  John's 
ear.  "  It  is  our  sacred  bird.  Now  I  know  not  the 
result.  But  our  Ruler  bade  thee.  I  think  it  bodes 
him  disaster,  not  thee  and  me." 

The  cacique  raised  his  stern  gaze  at  last.  "  Away 
with  them  to  the  temples!"  he  cried  angrily. 
"  Hither,  Christobal !  " 

Three  hours  later,  the  American  boys  were  led  out 


they  replaced.  Their  journey  now  was  along  the 
descent  of  the  hills.  The  vegetation  had  completely 
changed.  The  trees  were  giants  wreathed  with  masses 
of  vines.  The  flowering  plants  were  strange  and 
gorgeous ;  the  birds  sang  wild  melodies  unknown 
before  to  John's  ears.  Hours  later  they  reached  a 
point  where  the  hills  abruptly  ended,  and  they  could 
here  and  there  look  out  from  the  wilderness  of  trees 
upon  open  landscape. 

"  Behold !  "  said  Christobal  suddenly,  signalling 
a  halt.  A  valley  lay  before  them  about  six  miles 
across,  everywhere  enclosed  by  hills.  Green  and 
cultivated  groves  of  trees  dotted  it  at  intervals,  and 
in  its  centre  rose  a  great  stone  city  with  high  white 
walls  shining  like  burnished  silver  in  the  morning  sun. 

Christobal  evidently  expected  surprise  and  admir- 
ation. But  John  stretched  out  his  hands  :  his  heart 


THE    GATE   OF   THE    SILVER    CITY. 


of  their  dwelling  and  placed  in  their  literas.  A 
hundred  men  joined  the  same  warriors  who  had 
brought  them  here,  and  led  the  march. 

"  Where  are  we  going  ?  "  asked  John  of  Christobal. 

"To  the  temples  —  to  the  city  our  fathers  built, 
where  dwell  our  priests,"  he  answered,  departing  at 
once  to  the  head  of  the  band. 

As  daylight  appeared  their  eyes  were  bandaged. 
"  No  white  man  has  looked  upon  this  country  we  are 
now  passing  through,"  said  the  chief. 

All  day  they  journeyed  and  all  the  next.  The  third 
day  they  seemed  to  enter  a  different  region :  hills  took 
the  place  of  the  flat  plain.  This  they  discovered  by 
the  uneven  motions  of  the  literas. 

The  third  night  they  camped  upon  a  mountain 
ridge.  It  was  dark  when  they  stopped.  The  chief 
removed  their  bandages ;  nor  in  the  morning  were 


leaped  into  his  throat,  his  eyes  shone  with  a  strange, 
strong  light. 

"  The  SILVER  CITY  !  "  he  cried,  turning  to  Tom. 

"  The  home  of  our  fathers,"  slowly  pronounced 
Christobal.  "The  Silver  City  —  la  Crindad  de  la 
Plata!  It  is  your  destination." 

"  Are  we  to  enter  there  ?  "  asked  John  earnestly. 

"  You  are  to  enter,"  answered  Christobal,  "  never 
to  depart." 

"  Don't  you  fret,"  said  Tom,  when  John  had  trans- 
lated this  thrilling  sentence. 

John  did  not  fret.  Could  he  doubt  the  end  of  a 
chain  of  events  that  had  led  straight  to  the  reality 
of  his  dreams  and  plans  ?  He  was  startled,  awed, 
silenced,  but  not  afraid. 

An  hour  later  they  had  crossed  the  valley  and 
drawn  near  the  city.  The  walls  were  forty  feet  in 


T  HE     S ILVER     CIT  Y. 


47 


height,  sloping  inward  and  crowned  by  a  parapet 
that  curved  over  in  the  Egyptian  style.  They  seemed 
at  least  two  miles  square,  and  were  entirely  surrounded 
by  a  moat  or  canal  a  hundred  feet  wide,  crossed  by  a 
drawbridge.  The  fields  about  were  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation,  but  not  a  living  thing  was  seen  moving 
over  their- expanse.  In  silence  they  crossed  the  draw- 
bridge, and  halted  at  the  massive  gate.  It  was  com- 
posed of  two  huge  blocks  of  marble,  curiously  grooved 
to  fit  together,  and  revolving  on  pivots  of  stone. 

The  chief  struck  with  his  spiked  war  club,  then 
called  aloud.  The  gates  revolved,  opening  a  passage 
twenty  feet  high  and  ten  across.  None  appeared  to 
greet  them. 

Over  the  marble  pavement,  up  between  rows  of 


colossal  statuary  they  marched  toward  a  noble  build- 
ing. It  was  white  like  silver,  the  capitals  and  entab- 
latures of  its  portico  wrought  in  frosted  silver ;  bands 
of  gold  encircled  its  fluted  columns.  Its  broad  door- 
way stood  open.  In  one  of  its  vast  rooms  the 
Indians  deposited  the  captives'  possessions,  swung  for 
them  two  hammocks,  and  bade  them  a  silent  adieu, 
one  by  one  filing  past  them,  seizing  their  hands  and 
pressing  them  to  their  foreheads.  Christobal  came 
last ;  in  his  eyes  were  tears. 

A  group  of  ten  remained,  huddling  silently  just 
without  —  their  body-guard,  choosing  to  share  this 
imprisonment. 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other  in  pale  'ilence. 
This,  then,  was  the  Silver  City  I 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


(A  further  account  oj  the  search  for  the  Silver  City.) 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   SACRED   STRONGHOLD. 

IGH  as  rose  the  walls  of 
the  Silver  City,  forty 
feet  or  more,  they  were 
surrounded  by  a  broad- 
fosse,  or  moat,  nearly 
one  hundred  feet  wide, 
crossed  by  four  bridges 
leading  to  four  great 
gates. 

Each  bridge  was  so 
built  that  the  portion 
next  the  wall  could  from  within  be  raised  by  huge  cables, 
like  the  ancient  drawbridge.  The  walls  were  two  miles 
square ;  when  accurately  measured,  they  were  found 
to  be  a  little  more.  Each  gate  terminated  a  grand 
avenue,  which  cut  straight  across  the  vast  enclosure 
intersecting  the  other  avenue  running  from  gate  to 
gate.  One  ran  from  north  to  south,  the  other  from 
east  to  west.  Both  were  lined  with  statues  twenty 
feet  high,  representing  warriors,  priests,  kings,  and 
sabios,  or  wise  men,  who  had  fought,  ruled,  and  flour- 
ished in  this  kingdom,  during  past  unnumbered  cen- 
turies. Exactly  in  the  centre,  where  the  avenues 
crossed,  sprang  a  magnificent  arch,  sixty  feet  high 


from  the  marble  pavement  to  the  keystone.  It  was 
triangular,  not  curved,  its  inner  surface  smooth  and 
shining.  Crowning  this  mass  of  masonry,  rising 
high  above  the  cemented  platform  of  the  archway, 
towered  a  gigantic  statue  of  Itzamna,  the  first  ruler  of 
the  Itzaes  —  the  people  who  built  this  city.  His 
noble  head  diademed  by  the  three  symbolic  feathers 
of  the  Quetzal,  looked  down  upon  his  brother  war- 
riors full  seventy  feet  above  them,  and  out  over  the 
beautiful  plain  to  which  he,  the  beneficent  deity,  made 
man,  had  led  his  people,  and  where  he  had  taught 
them  the  art  of  agriculture. 

The  vistas  down  these  broad  avenues  two  miles  in 
length,  were  grand.  Alternating  with  the  statues,  rose 
tall  palms,  their  polished  ivory  shafts  crowned  with 
capitals  of  golden  leaves,  and  towering  to  a  height 
equal  with  the  haughty  crown  of  Itzamna. 

Four  great  structures  were  grouped  about  the  arch, 
the  nucleus  of  the  city;  they  were  alike  in  architecture, 
of  massive  proportions,  with  pillared  corridors,  beaded 
cornices,  and  battlemented  roofs.  Around  each, 
between  the  pillars  and  the  cornices,  ran  an  entabla- 
ture ten  feet  in  width,  one  bewildering  mass  of  hiero- 
glyphics. 

These  were  the  records  of  the  race,  carved  in 
stone,  and  recording  the  history  of  the  world  from 
the  epoch  of  universal  deluge.  Each  entablature  was 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


49 


devoted  to  a  different  epoch  ;  one  was  that  of  fire, 
the  second  was  that  of  flood,  the  third  of  earthquakes, 
the  fourth  of  the  celestial  elements,  represented  by 
the  sun.  The  first,  second  and  third  were  completed: 
fire,  flood,  and  terrestrial  convulsions  had  swept  suc- 
cessively the  earth ;  the  periods  of  their  occurrence 
.were  recorded  here.  The  fourth  great  stone  book  was 
incomplete  ;  it  represented  the  present  epoch,  which 
was  to  be  terminated  by  the  sun,  when  the  celestial 
spheres  were  to  join  together  in  the  final  destruction 
of  the  world  ! 

Each  building,  too,  had  its  especial  use.  One  was 
the  palace  of  the  King ;  another  the  temple,  the 
shrine  of  their  idols  and  the  home  of  their  priests  : 
the  third  their  academy  where  their  children  were 
taught,  space  being  also  set  aside  as  legislative  cham- 
bers ;  the  last  was  the  Strangers'  House,  where  were 
lodged  and  entertained  for  life,  all  visitors  from  other 
lands.  This  had  been  vacant  for  years ;  our  New 
England  boys  were  its  first  occupants  in  this  genera- 
tion. 

These  comprised  the  public  edifices  of  the  sacred 
city.  The  dwellings  of  the  inhabitants  were  scat- 
tered over  the  vast  spaces  enclosed  by  the  great 
walls.  They  were  built  of  pure  white  stone,  low,  but 
massive,  with  bands  of  blue  and  red  above  the 
beaded  cornices  ;  their  roofs  were  flat,  with  overhang- 
ing eaves  ;  there  were  low  doorways,  but  no  doors  or 
windows.  The  dwellings  were  grouped  in  gardens  of 
tropical  shrubbery ;  the  coffee,  the  cacao,  sugar- 
cane, banana,  bread-fruit  and  orange.  In  damp 
recesses,  that  aromatic-fruited  vine,  the  vanilla,  dis- 
played its  pods  over  running  trees  already  covered 
with  orchids  and  ferns.  Could  you  have  stood  upon 
the  platform  of  the  statue  of  Itzamna,  you  would 

have  looked  down  upon 
a  sea  of  green,  out  of 
which  gleamed  here  and 
there  a  white  roof, 
above  which  the  cacao- 
palms  tossed  their  gold- 
green  branches. 

At  this  instant  the 
city's  guests  were  stand- 
ing bewildered  in  a  cor- 
ridor of  the  Strangers' 
House.  They  had  seen 

no  inhabitants.  At  the  first  trumpet  blast  of  the  sen- 
tinel upon  the  walls,  when  he  descried  the  procession 
approaching  from  the  forest,  they  had  retired  to  their 


\ 


COFFEE    BRANCH. 


houses,  the  elders  grave  with  apprehension,  the  voices 
of  the  children  hushed,  for  a  report  had  spread  that 
they  were  teules — these  visitors  —  men  of  the  air  who 
could  work  them  harm. 

Now  a  prolonged  blast  resounded  from  the  great 
trumpet  hung  in  the  temple.  While  its  echoes  flew 
from  wall  to  wall,  the  marble  streets  became  alive 
with  women  and  children  who  formed  in  procession 
at  the  western  gate,  then 
marched  to  the  central 
temple,  where  they  halt- 
ed, while  the  priests, 
six  in  number,  came 
forth  to  their  head;  all 
were  bareheaded,  and 


simply  clad  in  pale-blue 

tunics,  gathered  at  the 

waist  by  a  crimson  cord 

with     golden     tassels. 

Their  bare   ankles   were   wound   about   by  braided 

thongs  confining  curious  sandals  of   soft  deerskin. 

Every  face  was   bright  and  open ;   their  skins  were 

golden  brown,  their  cheeks  like  russet  apples  kissed 

by  the   October   sun ;   their  eyes   black,  large,   and 

silken-fringed.     They  were  noticeably  short  in  stature, 

their  hands  and  feet  remarkably  small. 

Three  musicians  crouched  on  the  upper  step  of  the 
broad  staircase.  One  solemnly  pounded  a  drum, 
made  of  a  hollow  log ;  another  blew  a  flute  fashioned 
of  a  papyrus  reed  from  the  moat ;  the  other  clashed 
two  turtle  shells  — all  in  unison. 

The  procession  now  moved  on  to  the  Strangers' 
House,  and  ascended  the  marble  steps.  By  direction 
of  their  pages,  John  and  Tom  came  out  to  meet  them, 
pausing  in  the  corridor,  their  body-guard  in  a  semi- 
circle behind  them,  their  Indian  pages  on  either  side. 

The  priests  approached,  grave  and  serious  men, 
clad  in  long  white  robes.  All  the  Indians  fell  upon 
their  knees  with  hands  extended.  Our  New  England 
boys  remained  motionless,  as  grave  as  they,  while  the 
priests  walked  around  them  four  times,  swinging  cen- 
sers, half-smothering  them  in  incense  fumes.  These 
censers  they  tossed  finally  to  the  four  points  of  the 
compass,  bowing  twice  to  the  east,  whence  comes  the 
sun,  their  great  deity. 

Then  the  procession  moved  on,  the  guard  of  honor 
surrounded  the  white  strangers  and  led  the  way,  with 
the  banner  of  the  sun  waving  in  front. 

This  time  it  was  to  the  temple !  They  entered 
through  its  gloomy  portal  the  western  section,  vast, 


5° 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


THE   COCO-TREE. 


high,  and  dark.  No  windows  lighted  it.  At  its  far- 
ther end  a  spark  of  fire  gleamed  out  of  the  darkness. 
It  was  their  emblem  of  life,  the  perpetual  fire,  which  is 
never  allowed  to  go  out,  burning  upon  the  sacred 
altar.  On  either  side  rose  a  square  pedestal  of  mar- 
ble. Before  these  the  company  halted,  dividing  to 
right  •  and  left.  Here  the 
strangers  were  separated,  and 
gently  led  to  the  pedestals. 
Placed,  living  statues,  upon 
the  gleaming  heights,  the 
people  fell  back,  the  priests 
retreated,  bowing  themselves 
upon  the  floor ;  then  rising, 
they  waved  their  censers  till 
altar,  pedestals  and  statues 
were  enveloped  in  dense 
clouds  of  fragrant  smoke. 

When  it  cleared,  our  heroes 

found  themselves  alone.  For  a  few  minutes  they 
remained  standing,  more  like  statues  than  ever  upon 
their  marble  bases.  They  were  dazed  by  the  strange 
spectacle.  At  last  Tom  spoke  :  "  I  say,  John,  isn't 
this  rather  solemn  ?  Let's  git  down." 

"  Wait,  Tom,  let  me  think !  Every  move  now  must 
be  well  taken.  This  is  their  Temple  of  the  Sun.  If 
what  I  have  read  is  true,  they  pay  their  devotions  to 
him  three  times  each  day  —  as  he  is  rising,  as  he  is 
overhead  at  noon,  and  as  he  sets  in  the  west.  They 
should  find  us  here,  as  they  left  us,  when  they  enter 
again." 

"Well,"  said  Torn,,  "as  it's  now  about  noon, 
'cordin'  to  your  lay-out,  we've  got  at  least  six  hours 
of  standin'  to  do  —  be  blest  if  I  like  being  interwove 
to  be  part  and  parcel  of  a  religious  ceremony !  Say, 
John,  they've  done  jest  what  I  told  you  they'd  do ; 
they've  gone  and  made  idols  of  us  !  Strikes  me  it's 
tolerable  tedious  work,  bein'  a  idol." 

"  Rather  saw  wood,"  said  John  with  a  grim  smile. 
"  Still,  I  think  we  should  fall  in  with  their  expecta- 
tions as  far  as  we  can  guess  at  their  ideas." 

"  Well,  this  '11  be  something  to  tell  the  folks  —  that 
is,  if  we  ever  get  out.  Talk  about  your  Arabian 
Nights  —  they're  nowhere.  We've  gone  through 
more'n  Sinbad  the  Sailor,  and  that  fellow  with  his 
wonderful  lamp,  ever  thought  of !  What  d'you  'spose 
the  mate  and  Don  Pedro's  doing  now?  Wouldn't 
they  laugh  to  see  us  standin'  here  doin'  duty  as  idols  ? 
I  say,  John,  I'm  going  to  see  what's  behind  that  cur- 
lain  back  of  the  altar." 


Still  he  paused,  half-awed,  while  they  both  glanced 
about  the  vast,  solemn  structure.  Impressive  cathe- 
dral effects  were  obtained  by  the  high  triangular 
arches  of  the  ceiling,  the  arches  at  the  ends  built  up 
at  right  angles  to  the  longitudinal  one,  forming  a 
deep  recess  separated  from  the  nave  by  heavy  sable- 
black  curtains. 

"I'm  going  to  see  what's  behind  that  curtain," 
repeated  Tom. 

"  I'm  not  sure  that  I  would,  Tom,"  began  John  ;  "  I 
believe  sharp  eyes  are  on  us."  But  Tom  had  leaped 
down,  and  was  already  pushing  aside  the  mysterious 
folds.  The  gloom  was  so  deep  that  at  first  he  saw 
nothing,  but  a  minute  later  he  stumbled  backward 
with  a  smothered  cry.  With  uncertain  steps,  he 
returned  to  his  pedestal.  He  stood  silent,  burying 
his  face  in  his  hands. 

"What  was  it,  Tom?" 

Tom  shook  his  head.     "It  was  too  horrible  ! " 

In  silence  the  dark  afternoon  wore  away.  Tom, 
tired  of  standing,  and  less  anxious  than  John,  sat 
down  on  his  pedestal.  Long  before  sunset,  he  was 
sound  asleep.  By  his  watch,  John  knew  the  time 
when  the  priests  would  probably  return.  As  the 
time  drew  near,  a  great  misgiving  seized  him.  But 
with  the  first  sound  of  steps,  he  nerved  himself.  He 
called  to  Tom,  but  Tom  did  not  hear.  He  ran  to 
him,  shook  him,  at  last  roused  him.  Tom  pulled 
himself  together  hastily,  and  both  hastily  returned  to 
their  positions  of  state.  Tom  was  yawning,  and  was 
vaguely  feeling  for  his  pockets  when  the  priests 
entered  the  temple. 

"There's  one  thing  I  don't  like  about  these 
Indian  leggins,"  he  muttered  to  John,  "  they  ain't 
got  no  pockets  in  'em  !  " 

The  priests  bowed  low  before  them,  and  then,  at  a 
signal,  pages  and  body-guard  entered,  and  conducted 
them  forth,  and  along  beneath  the  avenue  of  palms, 
as  they  came,  to  the  Strangers'  House.  The  golden 
beams  of  the  setting  sun  were  lighting  the  under  sur- 
faces of  the  palm  leaves,  while  the  city  below  lay  in 
shade ;  and  they  already  felt  the  coolness  of  twi- 
light. Their  guides  led  them  through  the  eastern 
room  into  a  large  court,  or  patio,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet  square.  A  corridor  ran  around 
this  court,  overhung  by  a  slanting  roof.  Marble  steps 
descended  to  a  plantation  of  tropical  trees  and  flow- 
ering vines.  In  the  centre  of  this  fragrant  garden 
was  built  a  great  marble  basin,  into  which  bubbled  up 
waters  soft  and  clear,  from  a  subterranean  source. 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


The  agile  pages  divested  their  young  masters  of 
their  clothing,  and  led  them  to  the  fountain.  They 
were  soon  floating  in  the  pearl-blue  water.  All  the 
stiffness  of  limb,  from  the  pedestal  ordeal,  and  from 
the  fatigue  of  travel,  vanished.  The  water  was 
warm,  and  evidently  mineral,  and  was  as  invigorating 
as  soothing. 

Looking  upon  the  exquisite  sculptures  that  adorned 
the  marble  bath,  the  vines  that  hung  over  the  marble 
steps  and  scented  the  air  with  drowsy  odors,  and  up 
through  the  strangely  foliaged  plants  that  hid  the  sky 
from  their  sight,  the  boys  might  well  have  fancied 
themselves  at  the  entrance  of  some  Oriental  paradise. 

Their  attendants  dried  them  with  handfuls  of  soft 
pita  fiber,  and  then  rubbed  over  them  a  transparent 
ointment,  compounded  from  fragrant  herbs,  then 
wrapped  them  in  curiously  dyed  robes  of  cotton, 
corded  about  the  waist,  bound  soft  sandals  upon 
their  feet,  and  led  them  to  their  hammocks.  The 
combined  influences  of  the  bath,  and  the  bland  atmos- 
phere, rendered  them  drowsy,  but  their  Indians 
awoke  them.  They  brought  them  delicate  coco  cups 
of  foaming  chocolate,  and  thin  crisp  tortillas  yet 
warm  from  the  fire.  Then  they  brought  water  to  lave 
their  fingers,  and,  having  dried  them,  kissed  their 
hands,  and  signified  that  now  they  could  rest. 

For  many  days  our  New  England  boys  lived  a  life 
of  luxurious  ease — feted  guests.  Every  morning  their 
pages  brought  them  coco  nuts  of  sweet  water ;  then 
they  bathed  in  the  soft  fountain,  and  drank  tiny  cups 
of  chocolate  and  ate  dainty  tortillas  while  swinging  in 
their  hammocks. 

Just  before  noon  a  breakfast  was  always  brought 
them  of  roast  or  stewed  chicken,  bread-fruit,  sweet 
potatoes,  frijoles,  or  beans  (one  of  the  ancient  dishes 
of  the  country),  and  parched  corn  cakes.  An  hour 
before  sunset,  a  lighter  repast  was  spread  upon  the 
stone,  altar-like  table,  mostly  of  fruits ;  delicious 
oranges,  custard-apples  and  anonas. 

In  these  days  of  quiet  they  "  took  account  of  stock," 
as  Tom  expressed  it;  overhauled  and  put  in  order 
everything  the  Indians  had  saved  from  the  boat, 
cleaned  their  fire-arms,  and  carefully  prepared  their 
ammunition. 

The  vast  room  opening  on  the  court,  nearly  one 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  long,  seemed  so  dreary  and 
unhomelike  that  John  induced  his  captors  to  divide 
it  by  gay-colored  curtains.  Then  they  hung  similar 
bright  blankets — scrapes  —  against  the  white  walls, 
and  piled  in  the  corners  heaps  of  cotton  stuffs,  bright, 


and  lustrous  as  silk :  the  singular  Oriental  effect  can 
hardly  be  imagined. 

Of  pictures  they  had  none ;  but  of  their  books 
they  had  that  precious  record  of  the  "  Conquest,"  a 
few  old  magazines,  a  folded  map  of  Yucatan,  and  an 
almanac  for  that  year  :  these  they  treasured. 

They  wondered  at  first  why  they  saw  so  few  men 
among  the  people ;  but  it  was  explained  that  they 
were  absent  on  a  hunt  in  the  mountains.  They  usu- 
ally stayed  away  several  weeks  at  a  time. 

Wherever  they  chose  they  wandered  among  the 
neat  and  attractive  dwellings,  through  the  highly  cul- 
tivated gardens,  and  even  ascended  to  the  base  of 
the  great  statue  of  Itzamna,  by  means  of  the  pyra- 
midal steps  at  the  corners  of  the  monument.  Every- 
where they  met  with  the  same  reverent  respect 
as  greeted  their  arrival.  Women  smiled  upon  them 
from  their  doorways,  where  they  sat  weaving  cotton 


THE  ORDEAL  IN  THE  TEMPLE. 


on  their  primitive  looms,  the  men  seized  their  hands 
and  pressed  them  against  their  foreheads,  and  the 
little  children  kissed  them  as  they  hung  at  their  sides 
—  the  children,  chubby,  laughing  little  elves,  brown 
and  shining,  they  evidently  did  not  believe  the  two 
smiling  white  strangers  were  teules  who  would  carry 
them  away  to  their  abodes  in  the  air  :  not  they  !  they 
followed  them  as  regularly  as  their  body-guard.  Yet 


52 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


they  never  entered  their  house  —  that  was  a  place  set 
apart  for  strangers. 

"  Never  saw  such  polite  children  in  my  life,"  said 
Tom. 

"  They  come  honestly  by  it,"  said  John,  "  for  the 
ancient  Itzaes  were  the 
l\s  d0*"?i^^~  most   refined  people  on 

<     •'~~.,,-     ~  earth.     They  inherit  the 

EHt  I  ^^Kfc£=r'i:-^A>  .•/ 

graces  from  their  ances- 
tors." 

"  I've  been  thinkin', 
John,  how  'twas  these 
Itzaes  got  all  kinds  of 
fruits  and  flowers  gath- 
/flLP?*J  *^&&&r  ered  here,  when  half  of 
|  **&>  'em  don't  belong  to  Yu- 

INDIAN  CENSERS.  catan,  do  they  ?  " 

"No,    Tom.      And    I 

have  noticed  it  too.  These  people  do  have  nearly 
every  kind  of  fruit  the  tropics  produce.  Let's  see, 
now,  what  they've  here  in  their  gardens  that  came 
originally  from  other  countries." 

They  were  strolling  along  the  southern  avenue,  and 
now  they  turned  into  the  nearest  garden.  There 
were  no  dividing  walls ;  all  the  people  worked  and 
owned  property  in  common. 

"  Now  these  great  palms  over  our  heads,"  continued 
John,  "  do  not  belong  to  Yucatan.  They  may,  per- 
haps, be  found  wild  in  the  forests  of  Southern  Mexico, 
but  they  are  natives  of  the  West  Indies  and  South 
America.  See,  they  are  over  eighty  feet  tall !  Yet 
I  have  read  of  some  species  growing  in  the  Antilles 
to  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty.  I  don't  know 
whether  these  are  the  Royal  Palm  of  Cuba,  or  the 
Cabbage  Palm  of  the  Southern  islands.  The  Royal 
Palm,  the  Palma  Real  of  the  Cubans,  is  said  to  be 
the  most  magnificent  of  the  family.  There's  an 
avenue  of  these  Cabbage  Palms  —  Oreodoxa  oleracea — 
in  Rio  Janeiro,  celebrated  all  the  world  over :  but 
what  would  botanists  say  if  they  could  see  this  glori- 
ous colonade  of  great  shafts,  over  two  miles  long  ? 
This  coco  palm  must  have  come  to  Yucatan  all  the 
way  from  the  East  Indies;  from  the  island  of  Ceylon. 
Nobody  knows  when  the  first  nut  was  drifted  upon 
these  shores,  but  there  are  millions  of  trees  growing 
in  Central  America  to-day." 

"  Look  at  this  queer  tree,  John,"  interrupted  Tom. 
"The  trunk's  covered  all  over  with  great  pods,  ezackly 
like  rats  without  tails." 

"  That !   let  me  think  ;  oh  !   that's  cacao,  what  they 


make  our  chocolate  of  and  cocoa.  Break  open  one 
of  those  pods  —  see  this  pulp,  and  these  brown  seeds 
in  the  pulps !  They  make  chocolate  from  them. 
Now  this  tree  belongs  to  the  country.  Don't  you 
remember  reading  in  my  old  book  about  the  first 
visit  of  the  Spaniards  to  Montezuma,  and  how  the 
author  says  the  Emperor's  servants  brought  in  foam- 
ing chocolate  in  little  gold  cups  1 " 

They  were  now  in  a  grove  of  cacao  trees,  mingled 
with  others  not  so  large,  brilliant  with  dark  glossy 
leaves  and  clusters  of  scarlet  berries  clinging  to  every 
branch  and  twig.  Our  book  botanist  was  puzzled  at 
first,  but  after  having  burst  open  one  of  the  berries, 
which  was  about  the  size  of  a  cranberry,  and  finding 
two  joined  seeds,  or  beans,  inside,  he  recalled  a 
description  he  had  read  of  the  coffee  plant. 

"  Look  here,  Tom  !  here  are  hundreds  of  pounds  of 
coffee  just  going  to  waste  !  The  ground  is  covered 
with  it.  I  don't  believe  the  people  dream  of  the 
civilized  use  of  the  berry." 

"  Hurrah  !  Le's  boil  some  to-morrow,  and  treat  'em 
to  a  new  breakfast-cup  right  out  of  their  own  garden." 

"  Not  so  fast,  Tom,"  laughed  John.  "Our  coffee 
has  to  be  hulled  and  dried  first.  We'll  bring  out 
our  haversack  to-morrow,  and  fill  it.  It  will  be  fun, 
though,  to  present  them  a  new  sensation  in  the  shape 
of  a  delicious  cup  of  coffee." 

Tom  was  silent  for  a  moment.  "  John,  old  fellow," 
said  he,  "if  there  was  only  a  market  handy,  we'd 
make  our  fortune  out  of  this  find.  Where  did  coffee 
come  from,  John,  do  you  know  1 " 

"  From  the  East — from  Arabia  ;  but  it's  at  home 
anywhere  in  a  hot,  moist  region.  It  grows  best  in 
the  mountainous  regions  of  the  tropics." 

"How  come  you  to  know  all  this  1 "  asked  Tom. 

"Oh!  I  read  up,  knowing  I  was  coming  to  a  tropic 
country.  I  wanted  to  be  able  to  recognize  things 
when  I  saw  them." 

"  But  I  guess  here's  something  that  '11  bother  you. 
What's  this  vine  climbing  up  this  old  tree  here  ? 
My,  how  nice  the  flowers  smell !  " 

"The  vanilla,"  answered  John  readily;  "more  val- 
uable on  the  coast  than  the  coffee.  Its  pods  have 
been  at  one  time  worth  their  weight  in  gold." 

They  had  come  to  the  border  of  the  grove  now, 
and  before  them  lay  a  garden-like  expanse  of  cane. 

"  Corn  !  "  said  Tom.     "  No  ;  what  is  it  J  " 

"  Must  be  sugar-cane.  Yes,  it  is  !  I  wonder  how 
they  grind  the  cane  to  express  the  juice?  I  hear 
somebody  pounding;  let's  see  what  they're  at!" 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


53 


Having  reached  a  small  house  on  the  border  of  the 
canes,  in  another  bower  of  trees,  they  found  a  woman 
beating  some  stalks  of  sugar-cane  between  two  stones. 
She  had  cut  it  up  in  small  pieces,  but  got  very  little 
juice  with  all  her  bruising  and  battering.  She 
invited  the  boys  into  the  house,  and  offered  them  a 
calabash  of  cane  juice,  sweet  and  refreshing. 

John  turned  to  his  comrade  :  "  See  here  !  I  don't 
know  about  the  coffee  speculation,  but  one  thing  I  do 
know,  you  and  I'll  make  these  people  a  cane-mill 
within  two  weeks." 


hunting  and  battle  arms.  So  the  patient  workers 
hewed  and  trimmed  with  their  great  forest  knives. 

Near  the  plantation  they  had  visited,  they  erected  a 
strong  frame-work  and  set  up  the  rude  rollers  side  by 
side,  and  by  means  of  a  strong  beam,  the  rollers  were 
at  last  made  to  revolve ;  in  fact,  they  really  achieved 
a  rude  but  effective  sugar-mill. 

Meantime  the  whole  city  was  in  a  state  of  great 
agitation.  Men,  women  and  children  visited  the 
works  every  day,  gazing  upon  the  machinery  with  awe  : 
many  evidently  regarded  the  machinery  as  a  malicious 


IN    THE   COURT   OF   THE   STRANGERS'    HOUSE. 


"All  right;  I'm  jest  spilin'  for  something  to  do. 
They'll  think  we're  gods  for  sure,  then." 

They  went  back  to  their  quarters  that  afternoon, 
with  a  jolly  interest  in  life.  The  next  day  the  simple 
Indians  were  astonished  to  see  them  labor  with  their 
hands.  From  a  great  log,  the  Indians  by  their  direc- 
tions, cut  two  round  rollers  two  feet  in  diameter,  and 
then  they  peeled  off  their  bark,  and  left  tenons  at 
either  end  of  both.  There  was  not  a  saw  in  the 
•whole  city,  and  few  implements  of  iron  besides  their 


outcome  of  the  teules*  power  —  probably  intended 
to  mysteriously  hurl  the  city  and  its  inhabitants  forth 
into  space.  Still  all  orders  were  obeyed.  The  day 
came  at  last  to  put  the  new  mill  to  the  test.  The 
entire  population  seemed  to  have  gathered,  some 
laughing,  chatting,  jesting,  but  never  quarreling, 
some  pale  with  anxiety. 

Now,  obeying  John's  orders,  the  body-guard  cut  a 
heap  of  cane  stalks,  and  deposited  them  by  the  mill. 
By  John's  directions,  they  now  laid  hold  of  the  beam, 


54 


CACIQUE     JOHN. 


and  the  rollers  revolved.  A  cane  stalk  was  placed 
between.  The  people  gazed  in  new  wonder.  The 
mill  creaked  and  groaned.  The  golden  juice  dropped 
down  into  the  trough  they  had  hollowed  ;  more  cane 
was  placed,  and  the  amber  drops  increased  to  a  little 
.  rill  that  flowed  into  the  calabash  under  the  spout. 

The  people  understood  now.  Some  rushed  to  the 
power-beam,  others  ran  to  the  garden  and  cut  cane, 
others  waited  to  bring  and  remove  calabashes  at  the 
trough. 

The  whole  design  was  comprehended.  Joyous 
farewell  to  weary  hours  of  slow  hand  labor!  The 
universal  expression  seemed  to  be  that  the  wonderful 
young  fettles  should  be  lifted  to  willing  shoulders, 
and  be  carried  in  triumphal  procession  :  but  none 
dared  lay  hands  upon  them.  At  last  by  common  con- 
sent, a  platform  was  hastily  constructed,  fine  brilliant 
blankets  thrown  over  it,  and  the  structure  placed 


THE    UNBELIEVER. 


upon  poles.  By  signs,  they  entreated  the  boys  to 
take  their  places  on  this  gay  liiera.  Then,  bearing 
it  aloft,  the  joyous  throng  moved  down  the  royal 
avenue.  The  children,  with  true  festal  impulse, 
gathered  flowers  and  scattered  before,  the  maidens 


THE   SUGAR    CANE. 


wove  garlands   which  they  timidly  offered,  and   all 
joined  in  a  rude  chant  of  rejoicing. 

John  never  forgot  this  hour  in  which  they  made  a 
joyous  people  even  more  joyous. 

The  thanksgiving 
over  the  event  was  uni- 
versal, with  one  excep- 
tion—  a  grumbling  old 
Indian,  who  lived  alone, 
in  a  corner  of  the  city 
walls.  He  had  shaken 
his  surly  head  over  the 
new  machine  from  the 
beginning,  evidently  re- 
garding it  as  an  abode 
erected  for  the  Father  of  Evil.  He  could  not  refrain 
from  shaking  it  and  kicking  it,  to  Tom's  amusement. 

One  day  Tom  came  in  bursting  with  laughter. 
"John,"  cried  he,  "you  know  that  old  feller  that's 
been  poohing  the  mill,  and  trying  to  shake  it  down  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  what  of  him  ?  " 

"  Well  —  oh,  I  can't  hardly  breathe,  I've  laughed 
so  much  !  Why,  he  went  a-poohing  round  it  this 
afternoon,  while  some  of  the  Indians  was  grindin* 
cane,  and  his  robe,  or  whatever  you  call  it  these  men 
wear,  got  caught  between  the  rollers.  And  you 
know  the  simple  things  don't  know  how  to  turn  the 
mill  only  one  way,  and  they  kept  turning  instead  of 
untwisting,  and  the  surly  old  clog  set  up  a  howl  and 
begun  a  dance,  I  tell  you  !  And  then  his  long  hair 
got  caught,  and  in  another  minute  there'd  have  been 
trouble,  if  I  hadn't  been  there,  for  they  kept  right  on 
turning,  and  drawing  him  in  more  and  more.  I  sung 
out,  '  Back  her  !  back  her  ! '  and  jumped  for  the  beam 
and  turned  the  rollers  back  and  let  him  loose.  You 
won't  believe  it  —  but  them  Indians  seemed  to  take  a 
grim  delight  in  the  whole  thing.  They  said,  near's  I 
could  make  out,  that  it  was  the  will  of  the  Great 
Spirit  that  he  should  be  punished  for  his  unbelief. 
He  won't  bother  the  mill  any  more,  I  judge." 

One  thing,  however,  puzzled  our  beneficent  young 
teules.  WThy  had  not  the  cacique  sent  for  them  ? 
He  was  in  the  city.  He  had  been  told  of  the  wonder- 
working machines  and  the  guns  that  were  ever  charged 
with  thunder,  but  no  summons  came  from  the  palace. 

"Wait  'till  my  warriors  return,"  said  he  to  his 
priestly  counsellors.  "  If  we  give  this  teule  permis- 
sion to  display  his  weapons,  he  may  destroy  us  all  — 
even  though  he  seem  a  beneficent  teule" 


CACIQ.UE   JOHN. 


55 


CHAPTER  II. 


NOTHER  week  came 
and  went,  but  our 
young  New  England- 
ers  took  no  note  of 
its  passing,  for  great 
plans  occupied  all  their  waking  hours.  John,  a  born 
adventurer,  as  you  know,  had  tired  of  the  romantic 
solitude.  Surrounded  by  people  with  whom  he 
could  not  converse,  Tom  had  tired  of  inaction. 
The  former  had  set  himself  diligently  to  learn  the 
Itza  language;  the  latter  had  appointed  himself 
master-mechanic-in-general  to  this  kingdom  in  the 
forest. 

The  language  was  simple ;  a  primitive  tongue,  com- 
posed largely  of  monosyllables,  open,  liquid  and 
musical.  John  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  most 
intelligent  women  of  the  city.  He  knew  that  woman 
in  every  race,  and  in  every  age,  was  the  conservator 
of  language  in  its  purity.  He  made  rapid  progress, 
and  soon  could  converse  sufficiently  to  further 
Tom's  improvements  and  inventions.  Together  they 
resolved  to  teach  the  people  how  to  make  sugar 
from  the  perishable  cane  juice.  It  was  a  difficult 
undertaking,  for  neither  had  ever  witnessed  the 
operation,  and  John  alone  knew  the  theory  from 
books.  The  Indians  could  make  pottery,  inherit- 
ing art  from  their  remotest  ancestors.  At  the 
suggestion  of  their  stranger  guests,  they  now  fash- 
ioned some  very  large  jars,  holding  twenty  gallons 
each.  These,  as  bidden,  they  filled  with  cane  juice 
at  the  mill.  Jar  after  jar  was  experimented  with 
day  after  day.  At  last,  the  syrup  in  the  great 
clay  furnaces  which  Tom  had  constructed,  became 


of  the  right  consistency,  grained,  and  lo,  sugar! 
and  the  Indians,  like  children,  tickled  their  palates 
with  a  new  sweet.  By  making  conical  moulds  of 
clay,  Tom  crystallized,  and  in  a  manner  refined 
the  crude  product,  and  finally  had  the  satisfaction 
of  turning  out  before  John  and  the  crowd  of  Indians, 
a  cone  of  amber  sugar. 

The  Indians  bore  it  to  the  temple  and  exhibited 
it  to  their  priests,  who  in  turn  displayed  it  before 
the  idols;  and  later  it  was  presented  to  the  ca- 
cique, with  the  compliments  of  the  beneficent  young 
wonder-workers. 

"See,"  said  the  high  priest,  "what  our  new 
gods  have  created  from  the  cane !  It  is  because 
they  came  from  the  North — from  the  region  of 
the  Snow  King.  They  \MW  frozen  its  blood;  taste  !  " 
The  cacique  both  tasted  and  handled.  He  was 
beside  himself  with  pleasure  and  surprise. 

"Is  it  possible,"  said  he,  "that  this  cream  of 
delights  came  from  the  jointed  cane  of  our  fields? 
Have  we  so  long  existed  without  knowing  what 
the  cane  contained?  It  seems  that  our  ancestors 
were  fools  —  that  we  are  fools." 

And  the  priests,  warm  allies  of  their  guests,  made 
answer  boldly:  "As  compared  with  these  strangers, 

0  mighty  master,  we  are  fools  ! " 

"Bring  them  to  me,"  cried  the  cacique  suddenly. 
"  I  will  await  the  coming  of  my  warriors  no  longer. 

1  see  they  intend  us  no  harm.     Bring  them  at  once." 
At  once  meant  without  ceremony.     The  cacique 

received  them  in  the  palace  court.  They  found  him 
walking  in  the  inner  corridor,  a  long,  glittering 
vista  of  gold-fluted  pillars  hung  with  cages  of  bright- 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


plumed  singing-birds;  the  carvings  upon  the  walls 
were  grotesque  and  very  fanciful  in  design;  the 
steps  that  descended  to  the  garden  fountain  were 
covered  with  plates  of  hammered  silver;  the  throne, 
which  they  could  see  in  the  eastern  room,  gleamed 
as  if  covered  with  beaten  gold. 

To  delicately  show  that  he  considered  the  young 
strangers  his  equals,  the  cacique  had  put  off  his 
robe  of  state  and  was  clad  simply  in  white,  with 
only  a  circlet  of  hammered  gold  crowning  his  brows 
and  confining  his  long  black  hair.  He  seemed  about 
fifty  years  of  age,  tall,  and  finely-shaped.  His  keen 
eyes  rested  upon  his  young  guests  piercingly  for 
a  space,  and  then  taking  a  hand  of  each,  he  led 
them  to  seats. 

"Which  is  he  of  the  sacred  thunder?"  demanded 
he  of  the  priests.  "  And  which  the  freezer  of  cane- 
juice?  I  would  see  them  work  these  wonders  with 
my  own  eyes." 

The  priests  protested.  His  Majesty  should  not 
expose  himself  to  possible  peril.  They  cited  the 
case  of  the  man  caught  in  the  cane  mill,  and  of 
the  cacique  of  the  Sublevados,  by  whose  temerity 
the  bird  of  night  was  killed  and  the  ill  will  thus 
obtained  of  the  demons  of  darkness  ! 

"  I  care  not,"  returned  he ;  "  they  were  evil  men, 
who  doubted  the  powers  of  these  our  guests.  I 
do  not  doubt." 

First  he  was  taken  to  the  mill  and  the  sugar 
works.  There  he  saw  the  workmen  preparing 
sugar  for  his  own  royal  table.  The  laborers  greeted 
him  reverently,  for  it  was  rarely  the  cacique  went 
abroad  among  his  people,  and  they  were  surprised. 
Next  the  American  guns  and  pistols  were  exhibited, 
but  the  cacique  would  not  take  them  in  his  hands. 
He,  however,  insisted  upon  witnessing  a  discharge. 
John  hesitated.  He  did  not  wish  to  alarm  the  inhab- 
itants, nor  did  he  care  to  make  his  experiments 
common. 

"  Do  a  big  thing,"  said  Tom.     "  Try  the  rifle." 

The  rifle  was  a  breech-loader,  with  a  magazine 
containing  sixteen  shots.  But  John  concluded  to 
fire  it  but  twice  at  most,  because  ammunition  was 
precious,  and  in  order  to  reserve  a  new  surprise 
for  the  Indians,  should  there  come  the  time  of  need. 

"What   does   the  cacique  desire  me  to  shoot?" 

he  asked.     The  monarch  glanced  up  and  down  the 

.  royal   avenue.     He   saw   a  vulture   sailing  high   in 

the   air.     Now   by   the  laws  of  their  religion  these 

Itzaes  were  prohibited  from  killing  any  living  thing 


except  for  food.  The  children  and  women  never 
knowingly  killed  even  a  worm  or  an  insect.  Their 
hands  were  free  from  blood :  the  reason  why  they 
alone,  and  the  priests,  performed  all  the  ceremonies 
of  their  worship.  No  person  who  had  destroyed  the 
life  of  a  created  being  might  pray  direct  to  the  gods. 
Even  the  fowls  used  for  food  were  killed  by  old 
men  who  had  been  warriors  in  their  younger  days; 
only  then  might  the  women  cook  them.  But  there 
was  an  exception  in  favor  of  killing  birds  of  prey 
or  animals  that  destroyed  others  of  their  race.  The 
king-vulture  was  such  a  bird — vile,  unclean,  and 
held  in  special  abhorrence  by  the  cleanly  Itzaes. 

The  cacique  pointed  out  this  creature  to  the 
strangers.  The  time  was  noon,  when  these  birds, 
having  digested  their  breakfast,  leave  the  walls  and 
roofs  where,  gorged,  they  sit  all  the  morning,  and 
fly  forth,  sailing  round  and  round,  higher  and 
higher,  circling  nearer  and  nearer  towards  the  sun, 
until  mere  specks  in  the  clouds.  It  was  now,  as 
I  said,  the  heat  of  midday,  and  these  birds  were 
abroad  on  their  aerial  evolutions.  They  were  at 
least  three  hundred  yards  up,  six  or  eight  of  them, 
the  king-vulture  in  the  centre,  the  others  sporting 
around  him. 

"  I  guess  you're  posed  this  time,  John,"  said  Tom. 
"There  isn't  one  man  in  a  hundred  could  hit  that 
bird  that  distance.  And  yet,  since  you're  a  god; 
you're  expected  to  do  it." 

But  John  coolly  lifted  the  rifle,  in  his  soul  thankful 
for  all  his  practice  in  the  green  old  New  England 
forests.  The  cacique  watched  him  narrowly  as  he 
sighted,  resting  the  gun  over  Tom's  shoulder  and 
falling  upon  one  knee.  The  report  broke  the  noon- 
day quiet  of  the  city  with 
a  loud  shock.  All  the 
people  rushed  out  of 
their  houses,  roused  from 
their  hammock  siestas. 
It  so  astonished  the  ca- 
cique that  he  forgot  what 
he  had  requested,  until  a 
crackling  of  the  palm 
branches  over  his  head 
reminded  him  of  the  vul- 
ture, which  at  that  mo- 
ment fell  through  the 
palms  and  descended  to 
the  pavement  with  a  thud, 
feathers  dabbled  in  blood. 


There  it  lay,  its  shiny 
Like  the  chief  of  the 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


57 


Mayas,  the  cacique  was  utterly  bewildered.  But  a 
descendant  of  a  long  line  of  royal  rulers,  he  quickly 
veiled  his  awe  and  tremor.  His  keen  perception, 
his  ready  wit,  saw  in  these  wielders  of  weapons  so 
deadly  most  powerful  allies  against  his  enemies,  the 
Lacandones,  the  fierce  Indians  of  the  mountains, 
who  were  continually  descending  upon  his  city  in 
deadly  raid. 

But  he  did  not  give  voice  to  this  thought ;  and  while 
he  admired  in  silence,  John,  at  Tom's  whispered  sug- 
gestion, fired  once  more,  this  time  at  a  shining  bunch 
of   cocoanuts 
two   hundred 
yards     away. 
The     central 


JOHN     TEACHING    THE    PRINCESS    XIA. 

cocoanut  fell  pierced  through,  and  another  was  neatly 
cut  from  the  stem.  A  loud  howl  greeted  their  fall, 
and,  to  John's  surprise,  the  Indians  who  had  run 
to  pick  them  up  came  back  grave  and  apprehen- 
sive. By  a  strange  chance  the  nut  had  fallen  upon 
the  surly  old  Indian  who  had  kicked  their  cane  mill. 
He  was  lying  under  the  tree,  out  of  sight  in  the 
dense  foliage,  and  the  great  nut  had  nearly  knocked 
him  breathless.  This  was  told  the  cacique.  He 
answered  solemnly :  "  These  Teules  are  great ;  they 
do  not  forget  their  enemies,  nor  may  their  enemies 
hope  to  hide  from  them.  We  must  be  careful  not  to 


offend.     Where  are  my  children  ?    Send  them  to  me." 

Two  beautiful  children  soon  emerged  from  an 
inner  apartment,  followed  by  their  attendants.  One 
of  the  pair  was  a  straight  young  stripling  about 
fourteen  years  old,  Prince  Zan  (pronounced  Tsan). 
He  looked  fearlessly  into  the  eyes  of  the  Teules,  as 
he  came  up,  the  manliest  young  boy  John  had  ever 
seen.  His  sister  Xia  (pronounced  Heah)  was  two 
years  younger,  though  fully  as  mature  as  her  brother. 

Never,  as  the  young  men  later  confessed  to  one 
another,  had  they  looked  upon  more  perfect  examples 
of  perfect  physique.  The  little  girl  was  fairer  in 
complexion  than  her  Indian  relatives ;  she  had  a 
creamy  hued  skin  soft  as  velvet,  and  cheeks  flushed 
with  rose.  Her  eyes  were  deep,  lustrous  black,  look- 
ing from  between  long  silken  lashes;  her  hair  was 
cut  square  across  her  forehead  and  fell  behind  to  her 
waist,  purple-black  with  that  glossy  hue,  that  rich 
deep  purple  that  gives  the  lustre  to  the  raven's  wing-r 
her  little  mouth  held  the  whitest  of  teeth,  and  her 
sweet  lips  were  parted  in  her  wondering  gaze.  Her 
feet  and  hands  were  very  small,  as  were  those  of  her 
brother,  and  her  arms  bare  to  the  shoulder,  were 
beautifully  moulded.  She  wore  the  traditional  iupil, 
or  costume  of  her  Itza  ancestors,  the  pure  white  gar- 
ment, that  fell  from  the  shoulders  and  required  no 
fastening ;  a  silver  cord  with  golden  tassels  confined 
it  about  her  slender  waist,  while  her  little  feet  were 
encased  in  deerskin  buskins  braided  with  silver. 
Her  brother  wore  a  similar  costume  except  that  his 
sash  was  broader  and  had  suspended  from  it  many 
charms  and  amulets.  About  the  necks  of  each  was 
hung  a  golden  chain  with  a  star  of  the  same  precious 
metal  flashing  upon  their  breasts,  signifying  that 
they  were  descendants  of  Itzamna,  son  of  the  celes- 
tial powers. 

The  cacique  took  the  hands  of  the  little  prince  and 
princess,  and,  leading  them  forward,  addressed  the 
magic-working  strangers,  speaking  in  the  soft  liquid 
Itza: 

"  Sons  of  the  air,  ye  have  come  among  us  from  the 
dwelling  place  of  Kukulcan,  we  believe,  because  ye 
have  brought  us  knowledge  of  things  we  knew  not  of 
before,  and  because  we  see  you  working  for  our  good. 
Ye  must  have  seen  that  all  we  have  lies  at  your  feet : 
our  lives,  our  possessions.  Now  I  make  a  last  gift. 
I  confide  to  you  my  son  and  my  daughter,  that  you 
may  instruct  them,  so  that  they  may  hereafter  rule 
this  kingdom  with  wisdom  and  power  unknown  to 
our  forefathers." 


.58 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


This  speech  was  full  of  words  which  John  had  not 
yet  mastered  ;  but  as  the  little  hand  of  the  princess 
was  laid  within  his,  he  understood  that  a  great  trust 
was  being  reposed  in  him  ;  and  in  the  following  days, 
as  the  little  princess  crouched  at  his  feet,  lisping  the 
soft  syllables  of  the  Itza  language,  while  the  prince 
and  Tom  devoted  their  time  to  the  mysteries  of 
mechanics,  he  grew  to  feel  a  graver  responsibility 
than  ever  before  had  rested  upon  him. 

Every  morning  the  noble  maidens  of  the  palace 
brought  the  children  to  the  Strangers'  House,  and 
remained  to  conduct  them  away. 

Little  Xia  was  an  apt  scholar  and  kept  pace  with 
John  in  the  mutual  endeavor  to  acquire  a  new  tongue. 
Hers  was  an  unwritten  language ;  no  books  were 
available  —  indeed,  with  both  the  progress  was  at  first 
wholly  by  object  teaching.  But  Xia  rapidly  learned 
the  letters  of  the  English  alphabet,  and  could  soon 
construct  words.  Ideas,  of  course,  were  difficult  to 
communicate  ;  but  let  us  anticipate  events  a  little 
and  come  to  the  day  when  she  first  received  a  written 
letter. 

The  mysteries  of  writing  had  never  been  revealed  to 
any  of  her  race.  Wonderingly  she  had  watched  the 
process.  A  great  longing  evidently  took  possession 
of  her.  If  she  could  only  astonish  her  brother  by 
reading  a  written  note  !  Would  they  not  then  rank 
her  with  the  Teules  ?  Would  they  not  wonder  ?  So 
while  Tom  and  Prince  Zan  wandered  in  the  groves, 
taking  object  lessons  from  nature,  the  princess  sat 
with  her  maidens  and  her  instructor  in  the  great  cool 
corridor  and  pored  over  the  secrets  of  the  copy  book. 
Finally  she  could  read  a  simple  sentence  in  script. 
Then  patiently  and  slowly  she  formed  one  herself, 
and  then  one  afternoon  she  took  with  her  to  the 
palace  John's  precious  book.  The  next  morning  by  an 
understanding  with  John,  she  did  not  accompany  her 
brother  to  the  Strangers'  House.  Then  John  wrote 
a  note  and  sent  it  to  her  by  Zan.  He  took  the  paper 
to  his  sister.  She  gravely  opened  it  and  read  aloud  : 
"  Please  send  me  my  book."  Then  she  gave  Zan  the 
book,  explaining  that  John  had  sent  for  it,  as  he  could 
see.  Of  course  he  could  see  no  such  thing,  and  of 
course,  also,  little  Xia  could  hardly  contain  the  joy 
she  felt  at  his  look  of  wild  surprise. 

He  ran  with  the  mysterious,  the  magic  paper,  to 
his  father,  crying  aloud  :  "  See,  oh,  my  father,  what 
the  Teule  has  taught  my  sister  !  He  has  made  this 
paper  to  speak  to  her." 

The  cacique  was  amazed.     He  could  not  conceal 


his  great  delight.     He  took  the  little  princess  in  his 
arms. 

"Then  thou  has  learnt  the  art  of  the  strangers,  and 
canst  make  inanimate  things  speak  for  thee !  My 
little  one,  great  things  the  future  hath  in  store  for 
thee,  and  for  thy  country  through  thee,  thou  daughter 
of  a  king." 

It  soon  became  noised  among  the  people:  "Our 
princess  hath  learnt  the  language  of  the  invisible 
ones,  of  the  beings  who  dwell  in  space ; "  and  they 
sorrowed,  fearing  she  should  be  snatched  away  from 
them  to  their  abodes  in  the  clouds. 

Perceiving  what  the  children  of  the  cacique  were  to 
the  people,  John  often  felt  himself  oppressed  for  fear 
he  should  fail  in  guiding  them  to  their  highest  good. 
The  expanding  of  Xia's  simple  nature  was  like  the 
opening  of  a  wild  rose  in  a  forest  lane,  or  like  an 
orange  blossom  in  a  wood  of  Southern  pines.  Her 
young  instructor  felt  that  through  her  he  was  influenc- 
ing the  whole  Itza  race  of  the  future ;  nay,  the  destiny 
of  the  kingdom  itself.  He  shrank,  sometimes,  from 
the  idea  of  ever  putting  into  her  hands  books  which 
should  reveal  to  her  the  existence  of  civilized  peoples, 
their  customs,  their  ideas,  and  their  history  —  and  no 
wonder !  Stimulated  by  Xia's  wonderful  achievement, 
Prince  Zan  wandered  less  with  Tom  in  the  gardens, 
and  devoted  the  heat  of  the  day  to  study.  There  was, 
indeed,  a  general  awakening,  for  Tom  seemed  to 
keenly  recognize  his  own  educational  short-comings, 
and  he,  too,  became  one  of  John's  pupils. 

If  there  was  one  thing  that  astonished  the  Itzaes 
more  than  the  guns,  it  was  John's  watch.  A  time- 
piece they  had  never  seen  before.  At  Tom's  roguish 
suggestion,  he  first  showed  it  to  the  cacique  and 
the  priests.  They  said  at 
once,  "  It  is  the  visible 
presence  of  our  father  the 
Sun,"  but  could  form  no 
idea  of  its  workings. 

It  is  on  record  on  im- 
perishable stone,  that  the 
ancient  people  of  Yucatan 
understood  astronomy; 
that  they  could  calculate  eclipses  and  the  yearly  jour- 
neys of  the  sun.  They  were,  beyond  question,  a  wise 
and  civilized  people :  but  war  and  pestilence  had 
swept  the  wise  men  away  and  left  among  their 
descendants  not  even  a  tradition  of  the  extent  of 
their  learning. 

After  some  reflection  John  proposed  to  erect   a 


A    NEW   WONDER. 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


59 


sun-dial  in  the  centre  of  the  city  —  a  perpetual  time- 
piece for  the  inhabitants,  and  a  memorial  of  the  friend- 
ship felt  for  them  by  the  two  strangers  from  the  North. 
The  proposal  when  comprehended  was  received  with 
shouts  of  joy.  Masons  were  sent  for.  Soon  a  table 
of  stone  was  erected  on  a  spot  where  the  sun  always 
shone ;  and  as  rarely  is  there  a  cloudy  day  in  Yuca- 
tan, the  public  time-record  would  always  do  its  duty. 

A  square  block  of  smooth  limestone  was  set  in 
mason-work,  with  its  face  horizontal  to  the  horizon, 
and  in  its  centre  was  inserted  a  gnomon,  or  pin, 
the  shadow  of  which  falling  across  the  stone  would 
indicate  the  hour.  Several  days  were  spent  in  test- 
ing the  declination  of  the  shadows,  until  at  last  John 
had  marked  out  a  perfect  dial,  and  a  learned  In- 
dian who  carved  hieroglyphics,  cut  the  stone  care- 
fully. The  next  work  was  to  initiate  the  chief  priest 
into  the  secret  of  the  hours,  and  when  a  chosen 
number  could  tell  the  time  by  the  shadow  across  the 
dial,  a  great  feast  followed  and  a  new  epoch  of  the 
national  life  dated  from  the  festal  day. 

The  priests  longed  to  hang  John's  watch  about 
the  neck  of  their  chief  idol,  but  John  explained  that 
the  Great  Being  whom  they  supposed  had  sent  the 
watch  to  earth,  would  be  much  offended  were  they 
to  offer  it  thus  to  a  senseless  figure  of  stone.  In 
this  way  he  hoped  he  had  taken  a  step  toward 
inducing  them  to  abandon  their  idols  and  worship 
only  the  true  God. 

He  reserved  the  watch  for  important  ends.  The 
cacique,  he  knew,  was  burning  with  a  desire  to 
own  it,  and  he  resolved  he  should  have  it ;  but, 
Yankee-like,  wished  to  make  it  the  means  of  doing 
as  much  good  as  possible.  He  told  the  prince  and 
princess  that  the  first  one  who  should  learn  to  read 
the  time  of  day  at  sight,  and  to  correctly  care  for  the 
watch,  should  have  the  privilege  of  presenting  it  to 
the  cacique ! 

He  could  not  have  appealed  to  a  stronger  motive. 
Both  studied  earnestly.  It  seemed  that  the  prince 
made  the  most  progress,  but  one  afternoon  Xia  drew 
John  aside  and  asked  him  to  question  her  about  the 
hours.  He  found  her  answers  perfect.  He  was 
about  to  call  out  to  Tom  that  Xia  had  won  the  prize, 
when  she  placed  her  little  hand  over  his  lips.  Then 
she  drew  his  head  down  and  whispered  in  his  ear, 
"  Let  Zan  give  it ;  then  both  of  us  will  have  had  a 
pleasure." 

But  before  the  famous  watch  was  finally  presented 
to  the  king,  to  be  hung  up  over  the  throne,  it  was 


publicly  exhibited  to  the  people.  Each  man,  woman 
and  child  was  allowed  to  come  forward  in  turn  and 
look  at  it,  to  hear  it  tick,  and  to  gaze  upon  its  myste- 
rious wheels  and  levers.  You  have  seen  the  effect 
the  ticking  of  a  watch  will  produce  on  a  child.  Then 
imagine  what  it  was  upon  these  innocent  people,  who, 
with  all  a  child's  simplicity,  had  yet  the  reasoning 
faculty  which  attributed  the  small  voice  within  the 
case  to  the  powers  of  the  air. 

It  seemed  impossible  that  the  "  Teules "  could 
gain  to  any  greater  extent  the  love  and  reverence 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city;  but  they  resolved  not 
to  lose  what  they  possessed.  They  had  not  sought  to 
be  believed  the  owners  of  supernatural  powers; 
neither  had  they  chosen  as  yet  to  dispossess  them 
of  the  harmless  belief.  John's  greatest  object, 
though  he  had  indeed  discovered  the  Silver  City 
of  his  wizard  book,  still  remained  unaccomplished  — 
the  finding  of  his  father;  he  needed  every  advantage 
in  the  search  which  he  contemplated  as  soon  as  he 
could  speak  the  Itza  language  fluently.  Therefore 
he  and  Tom  still  accepted  the  homage  of  the  people, 
still  occasionally  exhibited  themselves,  their  accom- 
plishments and  their  weapons,  and  left  the  beholders 
to  draw  their  own  conclusions. 

Sometimes,  naturally,  they  viewed  the  matter  in  a 
ludicrous  light.  "  I  declare  ! "  Tom  had  repeated 
many  times,  "  if  it  wasn't  for  the  fact  that  these 
people  are  deceiving  themselves,  and  we  are  not  trying 
to  be  more  than  we  are,  I  should  be  ashamed  of  this 
business.  Here  these  innocents  imagine  we're  just 
little  gods !  'sposen  they  only  knew  what  mighty 
small  pertaters  we  were  to  home !  They'd  run  us 
out  of  the  city  before  night." 

"  I  think,"  replied  John,  "  that  we  are  not  doing 
wrong ;  we  do  not  boast ,  we  do  not  say  what  we 
can  do,  or  may  do.  If  the  time  ever  comes  when 
they  see  that  we  are  indeed  but  very  common  mortals, 
I  hope  they  will  still  love  us  for  our  own  sakes." 

"  John,  you're  right,  as  usual.  But  I  do  hope  the 
time  will  never  come  when  any  other  white  folks  will 
ever  enter  this  city.  Just  imagine  these  simple  folks 
at  the  mercy  of  a  lot  of  traders  and  brutal  Spaniards 
or  Mexicans  !  or  even  sharp  Yankees  !  But  John,  I 
think  we're  better  boys  for  coming  into  this  city,  and 
we  haven't  harmed  them.  That  little  prince  has  just 
crept  into  my  heart.  If  we  should  go  away  I  believe 
he  would  cry  his  eyes  out.  And  as  for  that  little  Xia, 
if  ever  there  was  a  little  angel  she's  one.  Wouldn't 
she  hate  to  have  us  go,  though!  " 


6o 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


"  I  think  she  would,  Tom.  And  I  really  think  it 
would  be  a  struggle  for  us  to  get  away.  They  might 
even  hold  us  captives  for  life  out  of  pure  affection  for 
us  !  I  have  no  doubt  I  can  contrive  ways  to  get  out 
of  the  city,  when  the  time  comes,  but  I  am  in  no 
hurry.  It's  very  certain  that  our  duty  lies  here  for 
some  months  to  come.  But  I  wish,  Tom,  it  wouldn't 
be  so  much  of  a  shock  to  them  for  me  to  shoot  some 
of  the  wonderful  birds  that  are  here  in  myriads. 
What  excuse  can  I  give  the  cacique  ?  For  any  rea- 
sonable excuse  I'm  sure  he  would  grant  me  per- 
mission; but  these  people  are  so  gentle  and  so  relig- 
ious that  the  killing  of  any  animal  seems  to  give 
them  actual  pain." 

"Why,  just  tell  'em  the  ones  who  sent  us  here  want 
specimens  of  all  they've  got  in  the  city.  They'll- 
naturally  infer  they're  wanted  for  the  great  Ice 
King,  and  be  only  too  glad  to  let  you  get  all  you 
want." 

John  laughed,  and  presently  laid  his  wish  before 
the  cacique,  who  gladly  gave  the  order  to  assist 
the  boys  in  collecting  specimens  of  every  animal 
in  the  kingdom ;  and  they  were  rejoiced  to 
do  so,  feeling  flattered  that  the  great  Kukulcan 
should  take  such  an  interest  in  the  productions  of 
their  little  empire.  The  collection  daily  grew,  for 
even  the  children  brought  them  beetles  and  butter- 
flies and  sometimes  birds  which  they  had  caught  in 
their  hands.  Every  time  the  gun  was  fired,  how- 
ever, these  sensitive  people  felt  a  great  shock,  and 
John  recognizing  that  here  was  a  race  naturally  more 
refined  than  his  own,  often  wondered  to  what  heights 
of  real  civilization  they  might  not  be  raised. 

But  little  Prince  Zan  came  to  his  relief  one  day  in 
securing  the  birds  without  noise,  by  asking  if  he  could 
not  use  the  sabrecan.  This  was  a  straight  hollow 
reed  bound  about  with  silver  and  gold,  which  the  boy 

had    taken    from    his 


father's  royal  armory 
—  a  blowgun,  in  fact, 
such  as  .  the  South 
American  Indians 
have  used  for  remote 
ages,  and  through 
which  clay  pellets  can 
be  blown  with  deadly 
force. 

ORIOLE. 

A  favorite  recrea- 
tion was  a  visit  to  the  market,  held  in  a  square 
behind  the  academy.  A  thousand  Indian  women  were 


usually  gathered  there,  buying,  selling,  trading,  all 
noiselessly  grouped  about  on  the  clean  stone  pave- 
ment, each  with  the  products  of  her  garden  or  loom. 

The  most  curious 
thing  was,  that  they 
had  no  money  what- 
ever; at  least,  no 
money  of  metal. 
When  things  were 
not  evenly  exchanged, 
they  used  the  seeds 


of   the    cacao    as 
"change."     This 

primitive  currency  HUMMINGBIRDS. 

has     been     in     use 

amongst  them  for  many  hundred  years.  It  was  the 
only  kind  known  when  Yucatan  was  discovered,  in 
1506.  One  advantage  was,  that  when  you  had  accu- 
mulated a  large  stock  you  could  convert  it  into  a 
refreshing  drink.  They  often  smiled  as  the  sight  grew 
more  frequent  of  here  and  there  a  heap  of  coffee 
berries  in  front  of  some  enterprising  vender.  The 
new  beverage  which  the  strangers  had  prepared  from 
the  coffee  berry  had  greatly  wan  the  cacique.  He 
could  hardly  believe  that  anything  so  delicious  could 
be  drawn  from  the  red  berries  that  lay  thick  and 
neglected  in  his  domain  ;  it  was  even  more  wonder- 
ful than  the  sugar  wonder.  "  There  is  indeed  no 
limit  to  thy  power,"  said  he,  addressing  John.  "  Truly 
are  you  sent  here  to  teach  us  those  things  left  unfin- 
ished by  Quetzalcoatl,  Have  you  seen  our  god,  the 
great  Quetzalcoatl  ?  Then  come  this  day  at  noon." 
At  noon  John  and  Tom  were  waiting  in  the  palace 
court.  The  prince  and  the  princess  held  them  by 
the  hands,  chatting  gayly  while  their  father  sent  to 
notify  the  priests  that  they  would  inspect  the  temple. 
The  six  holy  men  met  them  at  the  main  entrance, 
and  after  fumigating  them  with  incense,  led  the  way 
through  great' gloomy  rooms  to  the  inner  quadrangle. 
There  was  the  sam,e  internal  arrangement  as  in  the 
other  public  buildings,  but  here  the  fagades  \vere 
elaborately  sculptured.  The  west  front  instantly 
claimed  their  attention.  Enveloped  in  a  maze  of 
hieroglyphics  was  the  masterpiece  of  Itza  sculpture 
—  the  great  Feathered  Serpent.  Its  richly  carved 
body  extended  the  whole  length  of  the  wall,  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  feet,  twisted  and  coiled  about  the 
characters  of  stone  that  filled  the  spaces  between  the 
cornices.  The  many  different  stones  that  were 
joined  together  to  form  his  body  were  so  delicately 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


61 


chisened  as  to  appear  ornamented  with  feathers,  the 
tail  terminating  in  the  rattle  of  the  rattlesnake,  the 
head  adorned  with  the  plumes  of  the  Quetzal,  and  in 
the  open  mouth  was  held  the  head  of  a  human  being. 
It  was  well  calculated  to  awe,  well  calculated  to  rep- 
resent an  omnipotent  being.  Before  this  immense 
effigy  the  cacique  prostrated  himself,  and  the  priests 
silently  offered  incense.  But  the  young  men  stood 
erect,  while  the  prince  and  princess  watched  them 
tremblingly,  uncertain  whether  to  kneel  or  to  stand. 


the  result.  If  they  are  alive  and  powerful  they  will 
turn  on  us  our  own  thunder ;  if  not,  they  will  stand 
silent  and  shattered." 

The  king's  eye.  troubled  and  thoughtful,  fell 
before  John's  gaze.  Twice  he  tried  to  speak,  but 
paused.  At  last  he  said : 

"  Let  me  tell  the  history  of  the  Feathered  Serpent. 
Let  us  sit  in  the  shade  of  this  corridor.  I  speak  of  a 
time  so  remote  that  all  men  have  forgotten  when  that 
time  was.  But  then  appeared  Quetzalcoatl,  genera- 


"  THE   GOD   WE   WORSHIP    IS    A   LIVING   GOD,"   SAID   JOHN. 


"  How  is  this,"  demanded  the  cacique.  "Do  you 
come  into  the  presence  of  the  great  Quetzalcoatl,  the 
Plumed  Serpent,  without  bowing  down  ?  Are  you 
not  afraid  of  his  vengeance  ?  " 

"  The  God  we  worship,"  replied  John,  "  is  a  living 
God.  We  cannot  prostrate  ourselves  before  any 
image  of  stone  or  wood." 

"  Offer  this  '  image  '  insult,"  returned  the  cacique, 
"and  his  fire  will  consume  you." 

A  sudden  bold  idea  seized  John. 

"We, the  Teules,"  said  he,  "will  face  your  idols 
with  our  thunder-charged  weapons.  We  will  abide 


tions  after  the  great  flood.  Among  our  neighbors, 
the  Mexicans,  \\ho  were  soon  to  be  divided  amongst 
themselves,  slaying  one  another,  this  great  white 
man,  with  calm  face  and  flowing  beard,  landed  at  the 
river  Panuco,  coming  from  the  East.  His  palace  he 
built  at  Tullan,  and  there  he  devoted  his  life  to  the 
instruction  of  the  people.  He  taught  them  how  to 
cut  the  chalchihuite,  the  green  emeralds,  and  how  to 
work  silver  and  gold.  He  built  himself  palaces,  one 
of  emeralds,  one  of  silver,  another  of  shells,  one  of 
all  kinds  of  precious  woods,  one  of  turquoise  and 
another  of  bright  feachers.  His  commands  were 


62 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


made  known  by  a  crier,  who  shouted  from  the 
hilltop  of  Tullan,  and  his  shoutings  could  be  heard 
for  more  than  one  hundred  leagues  around,  even  to 
the  seacoast.  The  people  loved  and  worshiped  him  ; 
for  the  useful  arts  he  taught,  for  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  his  reign,  and  that  he  would  not  allow  the 
shedding  of  blood  in  sacrifice,  preferring  flowers  and 
the  incense  of  forest  gums.  But  at  last  some  evil 
chiefs  rebelled,  and  it  so  grieved  him  that  he  retired 
from  his  people.  He  destroyed  his  palaces,  buried 
his  treasures,  and  sent  the  sweet  singing  birds 
(abounding  where  now  there  are  none),  to  go  before 
him  to  the  Land  of  the  Sun.  Ye  may  trace  his  pro- 
gress through  Mexico,  by  tradition,  and  by  the  monu- 
ments he  reared  on  his  retreat.  Ye  may  still  find 
the  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan,  monuments  to  the  Sun, 
and  Moon,  and  that  of  Cholula,  than  which  there  is 
none  larger  on  earth.  From  Cholula  he  marched 
with  his  followers  to  the  sea,  embarking  at  the  river 
Coatzacoalcos,  and  then  the  Mexicans  lost  sight  of  him 
forever.  But  he  appeared  later  to  a  branch  of  our 
family,  the  Mayas,  having  only  crossed  an  arm  of  the 
great  gulf  and  landed  at  Champoton.  The  Mayas 
received  him  gladly;  they  followed  his  precepts, 
built  him  palaces  and  temples,  and  they  flourished. 
They  would  have  kept  him  amongst  them,  but  the 
time  drew  nigh  when  he  must  really  depart  for  the 
Land  of  the  Sun.  He  crossed  Yucatan  to  the  East- 
ern coast,  entered  his  winged  canoe  of  serpent  skins, 
with  the  royal  birds,  the  Quetzales,  at  the  prow,  and 
sailed  away.  This  was  the  great  lord,  Quetzalcoatl, 
called  by  our  brothers  the  Mayas,  Kukulcan,  or  the 
Plumed  Serpent. 

"  He  comforted  the  people  by  a  promise  to  return, 
and  since  that  most  remote  of  cycles  he  has  been 
looked  for  anxiously.  In  his  honor  our  forefathers 
caused  this  image  of  him  to  be  carved  in  stone.  For 
three  generations  of  time  —  two  cycles  —  a  hundred 
years  our  most  cunning  sculptors  labored  upon  this 
holy  work." 

"  But  he  came  not  to  you,"  said  John.  "How  is  it 
that  you  have  adopted  the  god  of  the  Mayas  ? " 

"The  Itzaes,  my  people,"  replied  the  cacique, 
"were  the  discoverers  of  this  country  of  Yucatan. 
In  remote  ages  our  ancestors  resided  in  the  kingdom 
of  Xibalba,  to  the  south ;  explorers  among  them  came 
to  this  valley  and  erected  this  city,  and  called  it 
Chacnovitan,  or  the  resting  place.  In  the  ages  which 
followed,  they  removed  to  Bacalar,  the  birthplace  of 
the  Heavens,  because  there  the  sea  supports  the  sky 


in  the  east.  Again  they  removed  farther  north,  and 
founded  the  cities  of  Chichen,  residence  of  the  Tiger 
king,  Itzamal,  the  Temple  of  the  Fiera  Ara,  then 
Uxmal,  where  is  the  Temple  of  the  Sorcerer,  and 
many  others.  Cycles  many  passed,  and  the  Maya 
people  arrived  from  the  south  and  west  and  founded 
Mayapan.  We  received  them  happily,  but  other 
tribes  later  came,  and  all  united  and  made  war  upon 
us.  We  retreated  from  city  to  city  until  at  last  we 
intrenched  ourselves  here,  repaired  our  walls,  rebuilt 
our  temples,  and  here  have  remained  these  many, 
many  cycles. 

"  The  leader  of  the  Itzaes  was  the  great  Zamnu, 
whose  statue  ye  may  see  above  the  royal  avenue. 
Like  the  Plumed  Serpent,  he  taught  his  followers. 
But  he  was  a  man,  albeit  with  the  breath  of  God 
moving  him  to  great  deeds  —  but  still  a  man,  who, 
when  he  died,  we  buried ;  his  head  at  Itzamal,  his 
right  arm  at  Chichen,-  his  body  at  Uxmal,  and  his 
heart  in  the  city  he  had  founded  —  here,  in  our 
ancient  and  holy  Chacnovitan.  He  represented, 
alike  with  Quetzalcoatl,  the  power  and  goodness  of 
our  Great  Spirit  who  dwells  in  the  Sun,  who  has 
retreated  beyond  the  region  of  the  Snow  King. 
Thus,  ye  see,  it  is  not  this  carven  image  of  glistening 
stone  that  we  really  worship,  but  honoring  it,  we 
honor  the  mighty  power,  the  goodness,  that  it 
symbols.  Listen  further.  For  uncounted  centuries 
have  our  people  borne  in  mind  the  parting  message 
of  Kukulcan,  that  he  would  send  messengers  to  re-es- 
tablish the  reign  of  peace  and  wisdom.  Seven  cycles 
ago  there  came  to  our  shores*  great  houses  with 
wings  that  moved  upon  the  water,  bearing  men  in 
armor,  and  animals  that  obeyed  those  men  like  their 
own  wills.  .These,  my  ancestors  thought,  are  the  mes- 
sengers of  Kukulcan.  But,  alas,  they  brought  not 
peace !  their  hearts  lusted  for  gold ;  they  brought  the 
sword  and  death  to  millions  of  our  race.  They  were 
not  the  messengers  of  the  Plumed  Serpent.  All  this 
vast  country  was  enslaved,  all  but  my  own  people, 
who  have  thus  far  escaped  their  search,  for  they  have 
heard  of  us,  these  monsters  from  a  strange  land,  and 
for  six  cycles  have  hunted  for  us. 

"Ye  see  now  why  it  is  no  man  ever  hath  seen 
our  city  and  returned  to  tell  the  tale.  Our  friends 
without  mercilessly  slay  every  stranger ;  should  he  by 
any  chance  enter  the  city,  he  is  never  allowed  to 
leave.  Ye  see  now  also  why  ye  were  allowed  to  enter ; 
because  ye  were  believed  by  Christobal  to  be  messen- 

*  Probably  the  Spaniards  under  Cordova  Grijalva  and  Cortes. 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


gers  from  Quetzalcoatl.  By  your  own  admission,  ye 
are  not ;  else  ye  would  not  wish  to  destroy  his  sym- 
bols. Still,  I  know  ye  not,  only  that  ye  must  be 
Teules.  Ye  have  instructed  us  for  our  good.  We 
love  you  for  that  ye  have  done,  for  what  ye  are.  And 
ye  are  willing  prisoners  —  are  ye  not  ?  " 

Prince  Zan  threw  his  arms  about  Tom's  neck,  the 
princess  laid  her  soft  cheek  against  John's  face  and 
whispered,  "Tell  my  father  yes." 

"Yes,"  said  John  gravely,  "we  are  willing  prison- 


THE    HOPE   OF   THE   CITY    HUNG    UPON    JOHN'S   AIM. 

ers.   Yet  I  will  now  warn  you  that  the  time  is  coming 

when  we  shall  leave  you." 

The  cacique  shook  his  head.     "  I  defy  you." 
"Great  king,"  replied  John,  "four  months  from 

this    day,  as    the   moon   rides  in   the  centre  of  the 

heavens,  you,  with  your  own  hands,  will  open  for  us 

those  massive  gates  of  stone." 


Xia  had  drawn  herself  away  from  John ;  her  eyes 
were  dilated  with  anger  and  grief,  her  little  hands 
clenched.  She  choked  and  struggled  with  her  tears. 
Had  there  been  a  word  in  the  Itza  tongue  to  express 
her  feelings,  she  might  have  said,  "  I  hate  you,"  but 
these  gentle  people  had  no  word  for  hate.  So  she 
cried  angrily,  "  I  love  you  no  more !  "  and  darted 
hastily  into  the  darkness  of  the  temple.  John  quickly 
arose,  but  stopped,  sat  down  again,  and  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands. 

"Thou  see'st,"  said  the  cacique,  "  the  grief  of  my 
little  daughter  Xia.  O,  my  son,  though  we  may 
easily  confine  thee  by  walls  of  stone,  yet  thy  heart  — 
recall  thy  heart,  and  live  with  us  thy  undivided  life." 

John  was  about  to  reply,  when  a  loud  blast  swept 
through  the  temple  —  the  danger-cry  from  the 
trumpet  of  the  sentinel  on  the  rampart!  They 
hurried  to  the  southern  gate,  climbed  to  the  parapet, 
whence  they  could  look  over  the  valley. 

"Ah,"  cried  the  cacique,  "my  home-returning 
warriors  —  and  they  are  followed  by  the  fierce  Lacan- 
dones ! " 

Two  bodies  of  men  were  savagely  fighting  on  the 
skirts  of  the  wood,  one  pressing  towards  the  city,  the 
other  trying  to  flank  them  and  get  between  them  and 
their  haven  of  refuge.  A  tall  warrior,  blazing  in 
paint  and  feathers,  stood  upon  a  mound  directing 
the  Lacandones,  and  above  -his  head  waved  their 
sacred  banner.  Evidently  their  chief. 

The  strangers  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance. 
John  spoke  hurriedly. 

"  The  rifle !  If  we  lay  that  warrior  low  we  shall 
save  our  friends,  and  probably  our  own  lives." 

Tom's  brief  absence  seemed  an  age.  The  attack- 
ing savages  had  divided  the  band  of  Itzaes  and  were 
shouting  victory.  The  hopes  of  the  city  hung  upon 
John's  aim  —  the  cacique,  the  priest,  the  people  felt 
this.  He  was  four  hundred  yards  away.  John 
adjusted  his  sights  so  the  ball  should  strike  on  the 
flashing  breast-plate.  He  glanced  along  the  barrel. 
A  puff  of  smoke,  a  loud  report ;  the  chief  was 
unharmed. 


64 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


"THE     KING     IS     DEAD!     LONG     LIVE     THE     KING! 


CHAPTER   III. 


TAN  DING  on  the  green 
mound,  with  one  hand 
grasping  the  banner- 
staff,  the  war  chief  of 
the  fierce  Caribs  still  di- 
rected the  movements  of 
his  troops.  He  had  been 
exultant,  for  at  the  very 
moment  of  the  arrival 
of  the  cacique  on  the 
walls,  his  trained  warriors  had  broken  the  Itza  line, 
and  they  were  driving  the  band  towards  the  city  with 
savage  cries,  when  that  sharp  rifle  crack  sounded  over 
the  tumult.  Both  parties  had  halted  instantly,  the 
pursuer  and  pursued  alike  paralyzed  by  that  myste- 
rious thunderbolt.  The  war  chief  had  not  been 
harmed  by  the  bullet,  but  the  banner-staff  had  been 
shattered,  and  the  banner  itself  had  fallen  to  the 
ground.  The  effect  had  been  more  dire  than  if  the 
chief  had  been  struck  dead,  for  at  the  fall  of  the  ban- 
ner—  their  sacred  emblem  of  victory  —  all  courage 
had  deserted  the  Carib  troops. 

But  as  they  were  about  to  fly  for  the  forest,  the  war 
chief  had  snatched  the  banner  from  the  ground  and 
waved  it  above  his  head,  turning  his  fierce  warriors 
again  upon  the  Itzaes  who  had  rallied.  The  clash 
of  arms,  the  horrid  din  and  shouting  now  once  more 
filled  the  air.  The  Itzaes,  though  fighting  bravely, 
were  again  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  and  the  Caribs 
came  on,  crowding  them  into  the  moat. 

"  You're  too  tender-hearted,  John,"  groaned  Tom. 
"  Give  me  the  rifle.  It's  an  awful  thing  to  kill  even 
a  Carib  chief,  but  when  it  will  be  the  means  of  sav- 
ing a  thousand  others,  I  hold  it's  a  sin  not  to  do  it. 
Give  me  the  rifle,  I  say." 

"No,  Tom,  I'll  give  superstition  one  more  trial." 
Again  that  mysterious  explosion  arrested  the  contend- 
ing warriors,  and  again  the  sacred  banner  was  dashed 
to  the  ground. 


But  this  old  Carib  chief  was  a  man  of  no  common 
mould.  Believing  though  he  did  that  these  thunder- 
bolts came  from  the  skies,  he  yet  bade  defiance  to 
the  supernatural  forces  fighting  against  him.  A 
second  time  he  snatched  up  the  flag  and  rushed  with 
it  to  the  head  of  his  troops.  They  had  turned  again 
to  fly,  but  as  before,  they  sprang  back  to  the  fight 
with  cries  of  rage. 

The  young  men  now  dashed  down  from  the  parapet. 

The  massive  stone  gates  swung  open,  then  closed 
after  them — the  cacique  and  the  two  young  strang- 
ers followed  close  by  their  bodyguard.  The  cacique 
bore  the  ponderous  spear  of  his  fathers,  and  wore 
upon  his  left  arm  the  great  gleaming  shield  of 
gold  adorned  with  feathers ;  a  helmet  of  the  same 
precious  metal  protecting  his  head,  three  feathers  of 
the  Quetzal,  the  sacred  bird  of  Itzamna,  hanging  from 
its  crest. 

It  was  a  desperate  measure.  Scarce  had  they 
crossed  the  drawbridge  when  they  were  on  the  skirts 
of  the  struggling  throng.  "  Revolvers  !  "  shouted 
John. 

"  Aye,  revolvers  ;  only  we  can  save  the  Itzaes  ! " 
cried  Tom  in  return. 

On  either  side  of  the  cacique  they  rushed  into  the 
thick  of  the  fray,  each  wjth  a  six-shooter  in  his  right 
hand,  and  a  belt  of  cartridges  around  his  waist.  The 
astonished  warriors,  Carib  and  Itza,  beheld  this  fear- 
ful force  advancing;  the  golden-shielded  cacique  in 
his  flashing  armor,  flanked  by  two  strange  young 
white  warriors  who  bore  death-dealing  weapons  spit- 
ting fire  and  smoke ! 

The  Itzaes  raised  a  cry  that  shook  the  walls: 
"  Our  cacique  !  Victory  !  Victory  !  !  "  Even  the 
wounded  raised  themselves  from  the  ground  and 
staggered  to  the  fight  again. 

Dismay  spread  through  the  Carib  ranks,  but  the 
old  war  chief  refused  to  fly.  Around  him  and  the 
sacred  banner  gathered  the  bravest  of  his  troops. 
Upon  them  advanced  the  cacique,  and  his  fiery  aids 
supported  by  the  Itzaes. 

Flushed  as  the  young  men  were  with  the  strange 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


ardor  of  fight,  they  coolly  fired  and  charged,  alter- 
nately keeping  up  a  continuous  fire.  Spears,  darts, 
and  arrows  were  aimed  at  them,  but  the  Itza  war- 
riors successfully  interposed  their  shields. 

One  by  one  the  Caribs  fell,  and  at  last  they  fled, 
with  cries  of  terror,  to  the  wood  until  the  old  war- 
chief  stood  alone,  in  his  left  hand  the  banner,  in  his 
right  a  spear  with  head  of  polished  bronze.  He  was 
a  giant  as  compared  with  the  Itzaes,  and  his  shining 
helmet  rose  full  a  foot  above  the  level  of  their  own. 

"  Back  !  "  shouted  the  cacique  to  his  men  ;  "he  is 
mine.  Mine  to  take  or  to  slay  as  I  will  it !  " 

The  boys  had  held  their  fire.  They  revolted 
against  shooting  a  brave  man  so  evidently  at  their 
mercy.  "  Fair  play,"  cried  Tom,  and  John,  though 
he  said  nothing,  dropped  his  gun.  The  Itza  army 
was  in  wild  tumult.  The  life  of  their  great  cacique 
should  not  be  staked  against  that  of  a  barbarous 
Carib  chief.  Still  at  the  gesture  of  command  they 
fell  back.  The  duel  begun.  Bands  of  Caribs  came 
stealthily  out  from  the  forest  to  watch.  The  cacique 
advanced  ;  the  Carib  made  a  savage  lunge  which  the 
Itza  parried  with  his  shield,  at  the  same  instant 
throwing  forward  his  heavy  spear  and  piercing  the 
Carib  through  and  through.  But  the  wily  Carib  had 
drawn  back  his  own  spear,  and  as  the  cacique  darted 
forward,  met  him  full  upon  its  point!  They  fell 
together  —  two  brave  men. 

With  a  wild  howl,  the  Caribs  drew  back  into  the 
wood  and  disappeared,  and  the  Itzaes  turned  toward 
the  city  gates.  It  was  a  mournful  procession  that 
bore  the  cacique  across  the  drawbridge,  and  beneath 
the  arch  of  the  southern  gate.  He  yet  breathed 
feebly,  and  as  they  laid  him  on  a  couch  in  his  royal 
palace,  he  opened  his  eyes.  John  was  bending  over 
him,  his  face  showing  the  sorrow  he  felt.  Xia  and 
Prince  Zan  were  silent  with  grief.  This  sudden 
calamity  had  absorbed  the  resentment  of  the  little 
princess  against  John,  and  she  clung  to  his  hand  in 
pitiful  grief.  The  cacique  asked  for  the  chief  priest. 
He  came.  His  five  companions,  all  holy  men,  stood 
beside  him.  He  motioned  John  to  kneel,  placed  his 
hand  on  his  head.  He  spoke  with  effort : 

"  This  is  my  successor !  I  command  ye  that  ye 
make  him  king ! "  The  priests,  though  in  con- 
sternation, signified  their  assent,  but  John  himself 
sprang  to  his  feet  in  protest.  Yet  the  hand  extended 
to  bless  him  fell  so  heavily,  the  dying  eyes  gazed 
into  his  so  beseechingly,  that  he  could  not  utter  his 
refusal. 


The  dying  cacique  spoke  but  once  more :  "  My 
children,  I  go  to  the  Land  of  the  Sun." 

The  young  prince  and  princess  of  the  Itzaes  now 
were  fatherless.  Xia  threw  her  arms  about  John's 
neck  and  clung  to  him  sobbing,  while  Zan  fell  upon 
the  couch  in  overwhelming  grief.  John  stood  by 
them  silent,  stupified  with  many  troubled  thoughts. 

After  two  days  the  people  assembled  to  conduct 
the  remains  of  their  king  to  their  last  resting-place, 
in  the  great  cavern  where  reposed  his  ancestors.  If 
they  felt  grief,  they  dissembled  it.  They  spoke  to 
one  another  with  philosophy  :  "  It  is  well  that  our 
beloved  cacique  should  have  gone  before  us,  for 
Quetzalcoatl  will  grant  him  a  kingdom  in  the  Land 
of  the  Sun ;  and  to  this  he  will  invite  us  when  we 
also  depart." 

The   same   week   the    new  cacique  was  installed. 


THE   DUEL. 


They  would  have  made  the  ceremonies  the  most  gor- 
geous that  ever  were  witnessed  in  the  city,  but  John 
refused.  He  promulgated  his  first  decree,  that  he 
accepted  the  crown  only  in  obedience  to  the  will  of  their 
late  king ;  that  he  should  only  hold  it  in  order  to  act 
as  an  all-powerful  guardian  to  prince  Zan,  the  rightful 
heir,  until  he  should  be  old  enough  to  govern.  This 
decree  was  received  submissively,  as  another  evi- 


66 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


AN    EVIL  WIZARD. 


dence  of  the  god-like  wisdom  of  the  young  Teule. 
Since  the  daring  rush  upon  the  Caribs,  the  Itzaes 
openly  worshiped  the  white  warriors.  Tom  was 
elected  their  war-chief;  a  post  of  high  honor  and 
second  only  in  importance  to  John's  own  caciqueship. 
They  both  were  installed  in  the  royal  palace ;  the  lit- 
tle prince  and  princess  shared 
with  them  the  royal  table ;  the 
household  of  the  late  king,  his 
well  drilled  attendants  and  ret- 
inue of  servants  were  placed 
at  their  disposal.  However, 
perhaps  warned  by  the  gravity 
of  the  priests,  Cacique  John 
saw  fit  to  issure  a  second  pro- 
mulgation similar  to  the  first : 
that  the  prince  and  princess  were  by  all  to  be  looked 
upon  as  lawful  sovereigns  in  minority  and  the  strangers 
as  their  prime  ministers  or  regents. 

There  was  one  event  to  which  in  the  hurry  and 
confusion  of  the  battle  John  had  attached  small 
importance.  But  now  the  high  priest  brought  it  to 
his  royal  notice.  The  Itzaes  had  fetched  from  their 
mountain  retreat  of  the  Lacondones  an  important 
captive  —  indeed,  it  was  the  capture  of  this  man  that 
had  brought  the  Caribs  to  the  valley  of  the  Silver  City. 
The  new  cacique  now  learned  that  the  Caribs, 
though  a  ruder  people  than  the  Itzaes  —  hunters  and 
nomads  rather  than  agriculturists  —  still  possessed  a 
capital  city,  though  its  rude  houses  were  nearly  all  of 
wood  and  thatch. 

This  town  was  built  near  agreat  cliff  in  the  mountains, 
at  the  base  of  which  extended  an  immense  cavern, 
very  high  and  dry,  in  which  they  had  deposited  their 
dead  from  time  immemorial.  These  bodies  were 
prepared  with  gums  and  bitumen ;  in  fact,  made 
mummies,  and  in  this  state  would  remain  a  thousand 
years. 

As  keeper  of  this  burial  cavern  they  had  always 
contrived  to  secure  a  captive  from  some  other  nation. 
This  was  in  obedience  to  tribal  traditions.  Once  in  a 
great  number  of  years  they  managed  to  capture  a  Span- 
iard or  white  Mexican  ;  such  a  keeper  they  highly  cher- 
ished, honoring  him  above  all  other  men,  but  keep- 
ing him  closely  guarded.  Ten  or  eleven  years  ago 
John  learned  they  had  taken  an  important  prisoner 
in  one  of  their  annual  excursions  to  the  sea.  He 
was  a  white  man,  but  not  a  Spaniard.  He  spoke  a 
language  none  had  ever  heard.  They  found  him  on 
the  shore  a  wanderer  —  a  tall,  slim,  sad  man. 


They  named  him  "  Him-whom-the-sea-cast-up,"  for 
they  saw  no  boat  by  which  he  could  have  reached 
the  shore,  and  took  him  to  their  capital  city  and  set 
him  as  custodian  of  the  burial  cave.  Year  after  year 
passed  away  and  this  mysterious  white  man  still  held 
this  position.  Never  once  in  all  that  time  did  the 
suspicious  Caribs  remit  their  watch  of  him,  though  he 
was  allowed  to  walk  about  the  village  and  even 
explore  the  forest,  followed  by  a  guard.  He  learned 
the  language  of  the  tribe,  but  held  little  conversation. 
He  loved  little  children,  and  they  loved  him  in  return. 
But  he  seemed  always  oppressed  by  melancholy 
thoughts.  Day  after  day  he  would  climb  the  great 
cliff  and  sit  looking  over  the  forest  towards  the  sea 
eastward. 

One  day,  seated  on  the  cliff,  he  beheld  a  body  of 
strangers  approaching  —  different  Indians  from  the 
Caribs ;  they  were  clothed,  while  the  Caribs  wore  but 
a  waist  girdle.  When  they  had  drawn  nearer,  he  saw 
their  faces  were  milder.  They  were,  in  fact,  a  group 
of  Itza  hunters,  who  had  strayed  farther  than  usual, 
looking  for  game.  The  poor  cavern  keeper  looked 
about  him ;  his  guard  was  asleep.  He  cautiously 
crawled  a  distance,  then  arose  and  ran  in  the  direc- 
tion the  Itzaes  had  taken. 

They  received  him  warmly,  and  hastened  away  with 
him  to  join  the  main  body  of  hunters.  The  Caribs 
were  soon  on  their  track,  furiously  demanding  back 
the  keeper  of  their  sacred  cavern.  But  it  is  a  law 
among  the  Itzaes  never  to  deliver  up  a  creature  that 
has  claimed  their  protection.  Sooner,  they  would 
fight  until  the  last  man  fell.  The  rage  of  the  Caribs 
was  awful.  They  gathered  all  their  warriors  and 
pursued  the  retreating  Itzaes,  reaching  them  as  they 
n eared  the  margin  of  the  valley. 

In  the  fight  that  ensued  the  stranger  fought  desper- 
ately on  the  side  of  the  Itzaes ;  but  having  received 
a  slight  wound,  he  was  not  taken  direct  to  the  Stran- 
gers' House,  but  to  the  home  of  one  of  the  hunters, 
where  he  was  kindly  cared  for.  After  the  burial  of 
the  cacique,  and  the  installation  of  their  new  king, 
and  after  the  tumult  of  feasting  had  subsided,  he  was 
assigned  a  room  in  the  Strangers'  House,  and  now 
Cacique  John  was  apprised  of  his  presence  and  his 
history. 

John  was  strangely  stirred  by  this  recital.  Tom 
gazing  upon  his  paling  cheek,  himself  felt  a  thrilling 
shiver  of  excitement.  Without  delay  or  ceremony, 
they  proceeded  to  the  Strangers'  House,  exchanging 
no  word  of  their  vague  presaging.  They  found  a 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


67 


tall,  finely-formed  man  who  looked  to  be  about  fifty 
years  of  age.  A  great  beard  covered  his  face  and 
fell  nearly  to  his  belt.  His  countenance  was  sad  and 
marked  with  deep  lines.  He  welcomed  them  courte- 
ously, but  in  a  strange  tongue.  John  spoke  to  him  in 
Spanish,  then  in  Itzae,  but  he  did  not  understand. 
He  fastened  upon  him  his  great  mournful  eyes  and 
tried  in  vain  to  utter  some  intelligible  word  in 
response.  By  signs,  he  inquired  from  whence  they 
came,  touching- his  own  face,  and  pointing  to  theirs, 


him,  evidently  trying  to  frame  some  articulate  sound 
which  his  lips  refused  to  utter.  With  a  gesture  of 
despair,  he  relaxed  his  hold  and  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands.  They  approached  to  comfort  him, 
but  he  motioned  them  back,  and  they  left  him  lean- 
ing against  the  wall. 

"  I've  been  thinking,  John,"  said  Tom  suddenly, 
"maybe  that  this  man  could  tell  you  something  of  in- 
terest if  he  could  speak." 

John's   voice    trembled    as    he    replied: 


"WHOSE?      WHOSE?" 


signifying  his  knowledge  that  all  were  white  men. 
They  pointed  Northward.  He  looked  at  them 
fixedly,  but  there  was  little  of  their  appearance  to 
betray  their  nationality.  Four  months  had  passed 
since  they  were  taken  prisoners,  and  their  hair  had 
grown  long  like  that  of  the  Indians,  and  was  cut 
across  their  foreheads  in  the  same  style,  while  their  cos- 
tumes were  of  the  Itza  men  of  the  higher  rank. 

But  as  they  turned  to  depart,  after  trying  to  assure 
the  stranger  of  their  protection,  Tom  made  a 
remark  to  John  in  English.  He  felt  his  shoulder 
grasped  at  once  ;  the  bearded  stranger  stared  up  ;>n 


whether  there  is  one  of  our  warriors  who  can  speak 
the  Carib  dialect ;  if  so,  bring  him  to  me." 

The  occupant  of  the  Strangers'  House  remained 
for  a  long  hour  leaning  against  the  wall ;  then  he 
sought  his  hammock.  He  looked  about  him  aim- 
lessly ;  as  though  his  thoughts  were  wandering  against 
his  will.  A  few  articles  remained  that  belonged  to 
the  young  men.  A  gun  stood  in  the  corner,  the 
wooden  chest  also.  It  was  this  chest  that  finally 
fastened  his  attention.  He  walked  to  it,  and  at  last 
opened  the  lid.  In  it  he  saw  cartridges,  some 
civilized  clothes,  and  a  book.  These  objects  evi' 


68 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


dently  interested  him.  He  held  up  the  clothes. 
They  were  of  Northern  make ;  evidently  they  were 
familiar  to  him.  Mechanically  he  took  up  the 
book  and  looked  at  the  title  on  the  back.  It 
glared  at  him  in  great  gilt  letters,  as  it  had  at  many 
a  man,  young  and  old,  before,  in  a  far-away  New 
England  garret.  He  vaguely  shook  his  head  over  it. 
The  book  —  the  old  wizard,  necromantic  book  —  in 
its  turn  seemed  to  look  at  this  half-barbaric  stranger 
as  he  turned  its  pages,  leering  up  at  him  through  its 
eyes  of  gilt.  But  he  saw  dimly,  for  letters  —  if  he 
had  ever  known  them  —  had  grown  strange  to  him 
during  his  years  of  exile. 

But  summoning  back  to  him  recollections  of  the 
past,  from  the  obscurity  of  years,  his  intelligence 
finally  interpreted  the  meaning  of  the  characters  upon 
which  he  gazed  :  THE  CONQUEST  OF  MEXICO. 
By  ONE  OF  THE  CONQUERORS. 

The  book  fell  from  his  now  nerveless  grasp,  the 
lid  of  the  chest  dropped  with  a  crash  and  imprisoned 
it  in  darkness.  The  man  staggered  to  his  hammock 
and  threw  himself  face  downward.  But  presently  he 
rose  and  groped  toward  the  chest  again,  raised  the 
lid  tremblingly,  drew  the  book  from  its  hiding  place, 
and  bore  it  to  his  hammock. 

"  If  two  leaves  are  gone,"  reasoned  the  wretched 
man  to  himself,  "  it  is  the  same  book  —  that  hated  book 
that  sent  me  hither  possessed  with  that  insane  idea, 
twelve  years  ago.  No,  it  is  all  here — ha!  but  they 
ire  loose  and  they  are  crumpled  !  " 

How  that  hated  book  must  have  rejoiced  at  the 
man's  surprise!  To  see  him  start  and  clutch  his 
beard,  to  see  him  gaze  wildly  at  those  crumpled 
leaves,  was  something  for  an  evil  wizard  to  enjoy. 
To  hear  him  mutter  :  "  The  very  same  that  I  myself 
tore  out  of  that  infernal  book  when  I  left  home  !  How 
did  these  leaves  get  back  again  ?  Who  found  them 
in  that  tin  box  in  the  cabin  of  my  wrecked  vessel, 
and  fitted  them  into  the  place  from  which  I  tore 
them  twelve  years  ago  ?  How  has  this  book  itself 
been  borne  hither  ? " 

Suddenly  a  gleam  of  glad  light  shot  into  those  wild 
eyes.  A  sudden  impulse  seized  him,  shook  him,  set 
him  in  fierce,  swift  action.  He  hurried  from  the 
house,  clown  the  royal  avenue,  and  breathless,  into 
the  palace.  There  he  found  the  young  cacique 
examining  some  birds  which  had  just  been  brought 
him  from  the  forest.  He  looked  up  as  this  excited 
stranger  entered,  then  with  a  change  of  countenance, 
arose  to  receive  him.  The  man  held  out  before  him 


John's  own  book.  He  cried  out  excitedly,  "  Whose  ? 
whose  ? "  It  was  all  the  English  his  long  unused 
memory  could  recall. 

"  Mine,"  answered  the  young  man  in  English, 
grasping  both  the  book  and  the  thin,  hard  hand  that 
held  it. 

He  pointed  to  John's  name  on  the  fly-leaf. 
"Whose?"  again  demanded  he. 

"Mine!"  John  again  replied,  gazing  at  him  with 
intense  feeling. 

The  book  fell  to  the  floor.  The  poor  bewildered 
stranger  extended  his  arms  with  a  look  of  entreaty. 

A  thousand  emotions  struggled  together  in  the 
young  man's  heart,  but  in  all  this  confusion  he 
was  conscious  that  before  him  was  he  for  whom 
he  was  about  to  search  the  whole  wilderness  of 
Yucatan  ;  that  his  father  stood  before  him  ! 

When  half  an  hour  later  War-chief  Tom  entered 
the  room,  it  is  hard  to  say  whether  or  not  he  was 
surprised  to  see  the  Carib  captain  and  the  cacique 
sitting  together,  joy  visible  on  every  feature.  Since 
the  Silver  City  itself  had  proved  a  verity,  it  was 
nothing  so  very  strange  that  John's  lost  father  should 
turn  up. 

"Powerful  glad  to  see  you  here,"  said  he,  shaking 
his  hand  heartily.  "  John  and  me's  been  thinkin'  for 
some  time  of  callin'  'round  your  way." 

But  the  man  could  answer  only  with  a  vague  smile. 
The  tears  came  into  John's  eyes.  "  Tom,"  said  he, 
"  we  shall  have  another  to  teach  now,  for  my  father's 
been  so  long  among  the  Indians  that  he's  forgotten 
even  the  simplest  words  of  English." 

It  was  indeed  weeks  before  the  poor  old  New 
England  captain  recovered  much  knowledge  of  his 
native  tongue.  But  he  was  by  nature  endowed  wkh 
great  energy,  and  he  resolutely  began  with  the  alpha- 
bet which  he  had  learned  forty  years  before  ;  and 
when  he  had  acquired  the  letters  anew,  he  set 
patiently  to  wTork  to  join  sentences.  Even  little  Xia 
could  excel  him  for  a  long,  long  time.  But  there 
came  a  miracle.  Suddenly,  one  day,  all  his  forgotten 
knowledge  rushed  over  him  like  a  wave,  and  he 
spoke  his  own  language  readily. 

It  was  a  long  story  that  he  told  them  of  his  adven- 
tures :  too  long  to  repeat  here  ;  and  since  his  own 
had  been  so  strange,  it  was  no  great  marvel  to  him 
that  his  son  too  had  been  shipwrecked,  and  that  they 
thus  had  found  each  other.  But  he  never  tired  of 
questioning  John  about  his  mother  and  brother. 
Twelve  long  years  had  separated  him  from  them,  and 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


69 


OLD   SPANISH    ARMOR. 


now  that  the  veil  of  darkness  had  been  partially 
lifted,  his  desire  to  see  them  daily  grew  stronger  and 
stronger,  causing  John  to  make  rapid  plans  for  future 
action.  Whatever  his  own  future  might  be,  it  was  his 
first  duty  to  enable  his  father  to  return  home. 

He  immediately  undertook  to  obtain  news  from 
the  mate  and  Don  Pedro. 
During  his  captivity,  now 
nearly  five  months,  he  had 
had  no  word  from  these 
old  comrades,  though  he 
and  Tom  had  lain  awake 
many  a  night  speculating 
upon  what  the  chances  had 
been  of  their  escape  from 
the  Mayas. 

The  body-guard  furnished  by  Chief  Christobal, 
had  remained  devotedly  attached  to  John's  ser- 
vice ;  and  now,  two  of  them  being  consulted,  offered 
to  return  to  Tuloom,  and  take  canoe  for  Cozumel, 
with  a  letter  for  the  mate.  This  expedition  was  to 
be  kept  secret  from  not  only  the  Itzaes,  within  the 
city,  but  from  the  Mayas  at  Chan-  Santa  Cruz.  The 
messengers  felt  sure  they  could  avoid  their  Maya 
friends,  by  a  wide  circuit,  and  they  swore  to  deliver 
their  message  should  they  escape  with  their  lives. 

John  wrote  a  long  letter,  explaining  the  romantic 
fortunes  that  had  befallen  them,  using  thin  paper, 
and  Tom  also  wrote  a  similar  message.  These  two 
letters  the  Indians  concealed  in  their  long  black  hair. 
They  were  well  equipped  for  a  long  march ;  had  a 
stock  of  sharpest  of  arrows,  a  strong  knife  each,  and 
a  pack  of  provisions,  snugly  strapped  to  their 
shoulders.  They  promised  to  return  in  three  weeks, 
and  John  bidding  them  good-by,  felt  with  a  strange 
regret,  and  yet  a  deep  relief,  that  they  had  sent  out 
a  thread  to  connect  them  again  with  civilization. 

He  now  turned  his  attention  once  more  to  the  in- 
ternal improvement  of  the  city.  Tom  had  made  an- 
other discovery.  Having  been  appointed  war  chief, 
he  had  felt  it  his  duty,  as  well  as  his  great  delight, 
to  drill  his  troops  every  day,  and  in  marching  and 
counter-marching,  he  visited  every  portion  of  the 
city,  and  often  conducted  his  men  into  the  outlying 
fields  for  wider  range  of  evolutions.  It  was  outside 
the  city,  and  by  rather  a  ludicrous  accident,  that  he 
made  the  important  discovery.  He  fell  over  a 
sharp-pointed  aloe  and  tore  a  long  rent  in  his  robe. 
There  were  no  pins  at  hand,  neither  needle  and 
thread  ;  but  one  of  his  soldiers  improvised  both.  He 


cut  a  leaf  of  the  aloe  that  had  torn  the  rent,  and 
pounding  it  until  all  the  pulpy  portion  had  been  re- 
moved, lelt  the  fibres  or  filaments  hanging  from  the 
sharp  thorn  that  terminated  the  leaf  —  a  bundle  of 
threads  attached  to  a  sharp  needle  —  a  needle 
ready  threaded.  With  this  the  Indian  sewed  up 
the  tear  and  the  troops  went  on  with  their  drill. 

John  at  once  saw  that  the  plant  was  the  famous 
Sisal  hemp ;  the  Agave  Sisalensis,  the  fibre  of  which 
is  so  valuable  that  thousands  of  bales,  four  hundred 
weight  each,  are  now  shipped  every  year  from  Yuca- 
tan. Here  it  was  growing  wild,  without  culture,  and 
whenever  an  Indian  wanted  thread  for  a  garment  he 
cut  down  a  plant,  pounded  out  the  pulp  of  the  leaves, 
dried  the  fibres,  and  so  was  provided. 

Investigating,  they  found  the  people  scraped  the 
leaves  with  a  long  sharp  stick  called  a  tonkas;  a 
slow  and  tedious  process.  Why  not  endow  them 
with  another  valuable  piece  of  machinery  ? 

So  the  Teules  and  the  Carib  captive  consulted. 
The  result  was  a  rather  rude,  but  very  effective  mon- 
ument of  their  friendliness  —  a  large  wooden  wheel 
with  sharp  stones  fastened  as  teeth  into  its  circum- 
ference. When  revolving,  a  henequen  leaf  —  henequen 
is  the  Maya  for  the  hemp  —  was  pressed  against  it 
by  means  of  a  lever,  the  pulp  scraped  off  instantly, 
and  the  silken  fibres  left  soft  and  clean  ready  for  dry- 
ing. It  was  hailed  as  a 
gift  from  the  gods  —  a 
great  invention  —  and 
was  kept  in  constant  use 
by  the  people  until  they 
had  fibre  enough  piled 
up  to  last  their  own  use 
a  hundred  years. 

"  But  is  there  any  good 
in  it  ? "  asked  Tom  one 
day.  "It  saves  labor,  to 
be  sure,  but  bymeby  such 

a  simple  people  will  have  nothing  to  do,  if  we  go  on 
inventing  labor-saving  machinery.  What  a  pile  of 
money  we  could  make  out  of  this  hemp  business  if 
we  only  had  a  transportation  and  a  market !  Then 
there's  the  coffee,  and  the  sugar,  and  twenty  other 
things  that  ain't  developed  ;  see  ?  " 

"  Suppose,  Tom,"  answered  John,  "  that  we  could 
bring  our  city  into  communication  with  the  coast, 
would  you  be  willing  to  do  it  ?  Think  how  soon  this, 
simple  race  would  become  the  prey  of  heartless 
traders  !  How  long  before  their  peace  and  innocence 


PLATE   ARMOR. 


7° 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


would  be  destroyed  ?  Tom,  a  million  dollars  laid 
before  me  now,  would  not  tempt  me  to  give  my  con- 
sent to  this  ruin  of  my  people." 

"  That's  so,  John  ;  money  ain't  everything,"  sighed 
Tom,  "  though  I  wish  I  had  some  myself." 

"  It  was  gold,"  continued  John,  "  that  caused  the 
ruin  of  the  Aztec  empire  of  Mexico.  To  gain  it, 
Cortez  and  his  soldiers  destroyed  millions  of  inno- 
cent people.  Before  and  since,  for  gold  in  the 
West  Indies,  and  in  South  America,  the  Spaniards 


ENTRANCE  TO  THE  CAVERN  OF  THE  IDOLS. 

depopulated  whole  islands,  torturing  men,  women, 
and  children  to  death.  I  hope  my  people  will  never 
know  this  accursed  preciousness  of  money." 

"  Yet,"  added  Tom  slyly,  "  one  reason  of  your 
coming  down  to  look  for  this  city  was  the  report  that 
its  walls  were  all  of  silver,  and  that  there  were  whole 
caverns  full  of  gold,  and  so  forth,  though  I  will  say 
you  didn't  seem  much  took  aback  when  we  found  out 
the  silver  walls  were  only  white  stone  that  looked 
like  silver  when  the  sun  shone  o.n  it,  and  that  the 
region  didn't  have  no  treasures,  except  what  the 
priest  and  king  were  guarding." 

John  laughed.     "  It  has  been  impossible  to  spend 


here   even   the    money  that   we   brought   with   us/* 

Taking  down  their  old  money-belts,  John  spread 
their  contents  on  the  white  stone  floor,  a  shining 
heap  of  golden  dollars,  and  looked  on  amused  while 
Zan  and  Xia  played  with  the  coins. 

"They  shine," said  the  princess,  "like  the  treasure 
in  the  caverns  of  the  idols.  Have  you  seen  that 
treasure  my  ancestors  captured  from  the  Quiches  ? " 

John's  father,  who  was  sitting  near,  looked  up. 
"John,  I  have  heard  among  the  Caribs  of  that 
treasure,"  he  said.  "  There  was  a  fabulous  amount 
of  golden  ingots,  silver,  and  gems,  which  the  Itzaes 
captured  from  a  wandering  band  of  Quiches,  who 
were  on  their  way  from  the  coast  where  they  had 
sacked  a  town,  a  church,  and  a  merchant  ship.  Can  my 
daughter  show  it  to  us  ? "  said  he,  turning  to  Xia. 
"  As  you  are  cacique  here,"  he  added,  turning  to 
John,  "  I  suppose  we  may  inspect  as  we  like." 

John  answered  gravely :  "  I  have  not  yet  meas- 
ured my  strength  with  the  priests." 

But  the  little  princess  had  risen  eagerly  and  placed 
her  hand  in  that  of  John's  father. 

"  Yes,  my  father  ;  why  not  ?  "  said  she.  "  My 
brother  and  I  will  conduct  you.  It  is  in  a  mighty 
cave  under  the  temple.  We  shall  need  torches." 

By  John's  orders,  the  ever-faithful  body-guards 
were  despatched  for  torches,  and  then  Zan  and  Xia 
led  the  way  to  the  temple.  None  of  the  priests  dis- 
puted their  entrance,  or  questioned  of  their  errand. 
They  walked  straight  to  the  curtain  that  hunrj  behind 
the  altar  which  concealed  the  skeleton  and  the  great 
armor  that  had  so  frightened  Tom  when  he  had 
been  set  up  as  an  idol.  They  paused  a  moment 
to  gaze  on  the  helmets  and  breastplates,  the  chain- 
armor,  lances,  swords,  and  arquebuses,  piled  at  the 
feet  of  the  hideous  idol  that  had  grinned  at  Tom  on 
that  eventful  day  months  before.  All  the  armor  was 
of  the  kind  worn  by  the  Spanish  conquerors,  and  was 
probably  taken  by  the  Quiches  when  they  sr.ckecl  the 
town.  The  idol  was  theirs  also,  and  had  been 
considered  a  great  trophy  of  ancient  Itza  valor. 

Turning  sharply  around  a  pedestal,  the  little  party 
faced  a  wide  black  opening  from  which  a  strong 
draught  of  air  blew  cold  and  damp.  As  they  bent  to 
look  within,  a  bird  flew  out  of  the  gloom  and 
almost  dashed  into  their  faces.  Xia  clapped  her 
hands  gleefully : 

"  Oh  !  there  is  Toh,  the  only  bird  that  did  not  sail 
in  the  ark  when  the  great  flood  came." 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


AN     UNDERGROUND     RAMBLE. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


OH  they  saw  to 
be  a  strange- 
shaped  bird,  with 
a  saw-toothed  bill, 
a  back  covered 
with  silky  green 
feathers,  and  with 
a  black  velvety 
pendant  hanging 
fron>  his  breast. 
But  r/s  queerest 
feature  was  his  long  tail.  He  had  an  ordu^ary  tail  of 
short  feathers,  but  beyond  this  stuck  out  or  hung 
down  two  slender  feathers  about  a  foot  in  'ength. 
Each  one  looked  as  if  it  had  been  stripped  of  all  its 
barbs,  leaving  only  the  shaft,  or  quill,  with  a  Ltle 
oval  tip  of  feathers  at  the  end. 

The  torches  were  quickly  lighted.  They  revealed 
a  smooth  face  of  rock.  Down  the  perpendicular  sides 
was  cut  a  narrow  stairway.  From  little  holes  and 
fissures  in  the  rock  streamed  out  the  denuded  tail 
feathers  of  numerous  Tolls  hovering  their  eggs  or 
young.  Very  few  seemed  alarmed  as  the  party 
passed  down,  only  flirting  their  tails  and  uttering 
expostulatory  squeaks,  and  then  Xia  related  the 
tradition  of  Toh's  survival  of  the  great  flood. 

Now  do  not  suppose  all  their  conversations  carried 
on  as  fluently  as  here  seems.  This  instead  was  fre- 
quently interrupted  by  many  hitches  when  her  New 
England  hearers  utterly  failed  to  comprehend  the  little 
princess'  most  careful  Itza  as  she  related  the  Indian 
tradition,  dating  from  early  times,  a  tradition  col- 
ored perhaps  by  Spanish  priests. 

"It  was  a  long  time  ago,"  began  she,  "many 
thousand  years  before  your  grandfather  and  my 
grandfather  were  born.  The  God  of  the  Air  looked 
down  on  the  people  of  earth  and  saw  they  were  bad. 
He  thought  them  too  bad  to  live  and  rear  children 


that  might  be  worse.  So  he  made  the  waters  of  the 
skies  to  descend  and  cover  the  earth,  even  the  tops  of 
the  mountains.  But  there  was  one  man  who  had 
built  a  great  canoe,  and  he  determined  to  save  all 
the  animals,  two  of  every  kind.  And  when  his 
canoe  was  finished  and  rain  began  to  fall,  his  family 
went  into  the  covered  part  of  the  canoe,  and  all 
the  animals  followed.  Oh,  there  were  many,  many 
creatures,  and  many,  many  days  did  it  take  for  them 
to  find  places  for  themselves !  But  there  were  bad 
beasts  as  well  as  bad  men  that  did  not  believe  the 
great  flood  was  coming.  They  laughed  at  the  great 
cacique  during  his  many  years  of  labor  on  the  canoe. 
And  this  bird,  this  wicked  Toh — who  had  another 
name  then  —  sat  on  the  branch  of  a  tree  above  the 
great  canoe  works  and  laughed  at  the  wise  cacique 
also. 

"Still  the  good  animals  tried  to  make  Toh  enter 
with  them.  The  cacique  also  reasoned  with  him,  and 
even  tried  to  catch  him  and  his  mate,  but  only  suc- 
ceeded in  pulling  out  some  feathers  from  their  tails. 

"  Then  Toh  laughed  :  '  Toh ! '  he  said  (which, 
means  go  along), 'I  won't  go  into  your  old  canoe.' 

"  Then  the  tiger  leaped  up  and  caught  Toh  by  the 
tail,  but  only  pulled  out  a  few  more  feathers.  Toh 
moved  farther  up  the  branches,  and  cried  out :  'Toh  I 
Go  along  !  who's  afraid  of  you  ?' 

"  The  elephant  was  the  next  to  enter,  and  his 
little  sharp  eyes  saw  Toh  mocking  at  him  in  the  tree. 
He  reached  up  his  long  trunk  and  almost  caught 
Toh  by  the  neck,  but  he  twisted  away  so  that  the 
elephant  only  pulled  a  few  more  little  feathers  out 
of  his  tail. 

"  By  this  time  the  tail  was  all  pulled  out  except  the 
two  long  feathers  that  we  see  him  wear  to-day,  and 
he  was  very  angry.  He  climbed  higher  up  the  tree 
and  scolded  the  elephant  long  after  he  entered  the 
great  canoe.  'Toh!'  he  shrieked  :  'Go  along,  you 
great  mountain  of  meat !  I  wouldn't  be  seen  in  the 
same  canoe  with  you.  Toh,  toh,  toh  ! ' 

"After  the  canoe  was  full  and  the  waters  had 
covered  all  the  earth  except  this  one  mountain,  on  a 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


tree  of  which  Toh  still  hovered,  the  cacique  looked 
out  of  the  door  and  said  :  'Toh  !  there  is  room  for 
just  two  more.  We  haven't  any  of  your  kind  in  here." 

"  '  Oh,  I  sha'n't  be  drowned  !  toh  !  Shove  along 
with  your  old  canoe  ! ' 

"After  a  moon  and  part  of  a  moon  had  passed 
away,  the  cacique  sent  out  a  humming-bird  to  look 
for  land  ;  and  it  flew  swiftly  all  around  and  returned 
with  a  leaf.  The  next  day  he  sent  out  a  vulture, 
which  found  the  bodies  of  many  drowned  creatures, 


the   flood,  only  with   his   tail    stripped   by  beasts." 
"  That's  a  prettv  yarn,"  remarked  Tom.     "  Won- 
der where  the  little  woman  got  it  from  ?  " 

They  afterward  found  it  to  be  a  Maya  tradition ; 
one  of  those  stories  that  the  Indians  call  Tales  told  by 
the  old  Men  !  Nearly  every  wild  animal  of  Yucatan  they 
learned  had  some  fanciful  story  connected  with  it  by 
these  simple  people. 

They  had  descended  the  stone  stairs  and  had  been 
sitting  upon  a  great  stone  altar  at  the  mouth  of  the 


IN    THE   CAVE   OF   THE   IDOLS. 


and  so  never  returned.  And  when  the  humming-bird 
had  been  out  again  and  did  not  come  back,  then  the 
cacique  knew  the  waters  had  left  the  land,  and  he 
guided  his  canoe  to  a  mountain.  The  first  sound  the 
animals  heard  when  they  stepped  out  of  the  canoe 
was  the  mocking  voice  of  Toh.  And  they  said 
among  themselves  :  'There's  that  horrid  Toh.  I  did 
hope  he  had  been  drowned !  I  don't  believe  there 
was  any  use  of  being  shut  up  for  a  moon  and  half  a 
moon  in  that  awful  canoe,  after  all.' 

"  How  Toh  escaped  the  deluge  nobody  could  tell, 
but  he   did;    and  we  see  him   now   just  as  before 


cavern.      Now  they  arose,  the  six  flaming  torches 
lighting  up  the  walls  with  a  strong  red  glare. 

"This  is  probably  the  Cave  of  the  Idols,"  said 
John's  father,  "of  which  I  have  heard  among  the 
Lacandones.  When  the  Spaniards  first  arrived  in 
Yucatan  the  temples  scattered  all  over  the  peninsula, 
now  in  ruins,  were  adorned  with  statuary,  represent- 
ing kings  that  had  died,  priests,  and  great  warriors. 
Some  of  the  Spanish  priests,  no  one  knows  why, 
taught  the  people  that  these  images  were  capable  of 
working  them  harm,  and  advised  them  to  destroy 
them.  They  themselves  broke  up  many  valuable 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


73 


works  of  art,  and  burned  volumes  of  Indian  history 
that  can  never  be  replaced.  But  the  Itzaes  —  at 
least  those  of  this  city  —  were  not  brought  under  this 
evil,  destructive  influence,  and  did  not  share  in  the 
spreading  superstitions.  It  is  said  that,  alarmed  by 
reports  from  the  Mayas,  their  chief  men  gathered  in 
all  the  precious  national  statues  within  reach,  and 
deposited  them  in  a  secret  cavern,  probably  this  one  ; 
we  will  soon  see." 

John  saw  at  a  glance  that  the  cavern  was  one  of 
those  natural  formations  that  abound  in  the  vast  bed 
of  coral  rock  that  constitutes  the  greater  part  of  Yu- 
catan. Great  pillars  of  limestone  supported  the 
arched  roof,  and  long  passages  extended  far,  far  out 
of  sight. 

Entering,  they  saw,  seated  upon  shelves  hollowed 
out  from  the  sides  of  the  cavern,  the  famous  idols  and 
statues.  One,  of  colossal  proportions,  was  the  image 
of  a  woman  with  the  head  of  a  dog ;  another  had  the 
head  of  a  wolf  and  another  the  feet  of  a  fowl.  These 
all  Zan  explained  represented  a  single  fabled  monster 
that  used  to  prowl  abroad  and  worry  the  Indians  after 
nightfall. 

"  In  our  ancient  times,"  said  he,  evidently  repeat- 
ing a  familiar  tradition,  "this  spectre  took  the  shape 
of  a  woman  —  of  a  lovely  mestizo. —  and  walked 
abroad  at  night,  wearing  in  her  hair  the  flower  of  the 
plant  called  sache  tobay.  She  charmed  her  victim, 
and  when  he  pursued,  she  fled,  then  retraced  her 
steps  and  allowed  herself  to  be  reached.  Her  lovers 
always  died  of  a  slow  fever,  finding  in  place  of  the 
enchanting  Mestizo,,  a  figure  full  of  thorns,  and  with 
feet  as  thin  as  a  fowl's. 

"And  here,"  continued  the  Prince,  pointing  to  a 
figure  of  a  giant  who  spanned  the  pathway  with  mas- 
sive stone  legs,  spread  wide  apart,  "  is  still  another 
shape  in  which  this  monster  delighted  to  affright  our 
brothers,  the  Mayas.  He  used  to  walk  forth  into 
the  city  at  night,  and,  placing  his  feet  on  each  side 
the  street,  crush  all  that  passed  between  them  by 
bringing  his  legs  together.  Ah  !  he  was  the  worst 
giant,  but  the  enanos  were  the  most  troublesome. 
Here  are  the  enanos" 

They  had  now  reached  a  collection  of  curious 
images,  forty  or  fifty  in  number,  each  about  a  foot  in 
height,  of  most  grotesque  forms,  and  with  hideous 
heads.  These  were  the  dwarfs,  or  pigmies,  or  enanos, 
who  once  lived  in  Yucatan.  The  legend  is  that  God 
formed  man  from  a  handful  of  earth  and  sacate  grass, 
and  made  several  trials  before  he  was  satisfied  with 


his  work.  First,  there  came  to  earth  the  giants,  who*' 
were  a  mild  race,  though  so  large,  and  these  were 
followed  by  the  dwarfs.  These  dwarfs  annoyed  the 
giants  much.  They  built  many  little  cities  the  ruins 
of  which  may  be  seen  to-day  in  Northern  Yucatan.. 
They  also  delighted  in  pestering  the  Indians,  and  the 
latter  did  not  feel  safe  until  all  their  images  were 
destroyed,  or  else  secured  in  this  cavern  of  the 
Itzaes. 

As  Xia,  who  had  strolled  away  to  look  at  some 
distant  statue,  came  dancing  back,  she  flashed  into^ 
their  faces  the  rays  of  a  strange  phosphorescent  light.. 
"  I  declare,"  exclaimed  Tom,  "  if  she  ain't  got  a  doz- 
en or  more  of  them  fireflies  made  into  a  sort  of  a 
lantern.  Yes,  and  look  at  our  bodyguard,  too,  every 
mothers's  son  of  'em  with  a  firefly  fastened  to  his  big 
toe !  " 

"  Amongst  the  Caribs,"  said  John's  father,  "  there  is 
but  little  other  light.  They  call  them  God's  lanterns, 
and  say  he  sent  them  especially  for  the  poor  Indians." 

"  They  are  bigger  than  ours  up  North,"  said  Tom  ; 
"why!  one  of  these  gives  out  light  enough  to  see 
to  read  by  !  " 

Here  an  exclamation  from.  Prince  Zan  drew  them 
on.  They  found  him  with  his  eyes  riveted  to  the  wall 
above  him. 

"  The  red  hand!  sure  as  I'm  alive  !  "  cried  Tom. 
Even  the  eight  brave  young  men  cf  the  body- 
guard recoiled  as  they  discovered  this  dread  symbol 
upon  the  rock.  Even  John  and  Tom  grew  grave 
when  they  remembered  Don  Pedro's  prediction  regard- 
ing the  red  hand  found  in  the  ruins  of  Tuloom,  and 
how  fully  it  had  been  verified.  It  was  stamped 
directly  over  an  arched  opening  into  a  passage  which 
evidently  terminated  that  portion  of  the  cavern,  and 
which  kd  into  an  immense  sacred  treasure  vault,  Zan 
explained. 

John  pointed  out  the  omen  to  his  father.  "  Yes," 
said  he,  "  this  symbol,  the  Indians  say,  is  the  sign  of 
the  '  Lord  of  the  Ruins,'  who  watches  over  his  prop- 
erty, himself  dwelling  in  invisible  regions.  He  has, 
they  say,  sealed  such  places  with  his  own  hand 
clipped  in  his  own  blood.  We  are  to  disregard  the 
warning  at  our  peril." 

"  Never  mind  ;  come  on  !  "  shouted  Tom. 

Glancing  reassuringly  at  the  little  Prince  and 
Princess,  John  and  his  father  followed  Tom  into  the 
dark  vault.  The  atmosphere  was  stifling.  Xia,  fol- 
lowing, clung  to  John's  hand,  and  Zan,  finding  his 
voice,  implored  them  not  to  advance.  Shamed  by 


74 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


the  courage  of  their  masters,  the  torch-bearers  now 
went  ahead,  though  tremulously.  They  soon  came  to 
a  series  of  arched  openings  extending  along  the  walls 
of  the  vault,  some  of  them  closed  by  slabs  of  stone ; 
others  had  fallen  in.  Each  slab  that  was  in  place 
bore  the  same  warning  :  the  red  hand. 

"  It  means  hands  off,  of  course,"  said  Tom,  "  but  it 
•was  intentioned  to  apply  to  Indians,  not  to  Yankees," 
and  he  wrenched  off  a  slab,  and  thrust  a  torch  into 
the  opening.  His  cry  of  exultation  drew  the  others 
around  him.  They  rubbed  their  eyes  as  though  gaz- 
ing at  the  sun.  A-  glittering  heap  of  golden  vessels, 
urns,  cups,  plates,  salvers,  ewers,  incense-burners,  lay 
^there  reflecting  back  the  torchlight.  "  So  much  for 
iSlab  Number  One,"  remarked  Tom.  "  Now  we'll 
just  dare  Hand  Number  Two." 

"  Gently,  Tom,"  whispered  John.  "  Remember 
that  to  our  Prince  and  Princess  this  is  sacred  ground." 

"  The  spoils  of  a  church,"  said  John's  father.  "  It 
has  lain  here  probably  for  two  hundred  years  or 
more." 

There  were  thirteen  of  these  arched  ovens ;  four 
on  each  side  of  the  vault,  and  five  at  the  lower  end. 
Here  .the  natural  formation  of  the  cave  had  been 
improved  upon  by  being  cemented,  sides  and  floors 
everywhere  smooth  except  for  some  treasure  recepta- 
cles, and  a  great  and  apparently  very  deep  well  that 
yawned  in  the  centre. 

One  after  another  they  examined  these  depositories, 
bringing  to  light  not  only  treasures  of  value,  as  gold 
and  silver,  but  objects  of  native  workmanship,  of 
which  no  museum  in  the  world  contained  the  like- 
ness. There  were  several  dozens  of  copper  axes 
shining  like  gold,  which  the  ancient  Itzaes  must  have 
brought  from  Honduras  in  their  trading  excursions, 
for  their  country  yields  no  metal.  Until  recently  the 
existence  of  these  copper  hatchets  and  axes  were 
unknown  to  the  antiquarians  of  America.  Among 
these  were  scattered  knives  and  spear  heads  of 
bronze.  Gold  ornaments,  and  stones  considered 
precious  by  the  ancients,  glowed  in  the  gloom  of  the 
adjoining  coffer.  These  were  fashioned  in  strange 
shapes,  some  like  alligators,  tortoises  and  river  fish, 
others  like  ears  of  corn,  shells  of  the  sea,  and  birds. 
The  largest  and  most  beautiful  gold  ornament  was 
wrought  in  the  shape  of  a  serpent,  with  scales  like 
feathers,  and  eyes  gleaming  like  diamonds.  "  The 
image  of  our  Master,  Kukulcan,"  whispered  the  two 
royal  children  simultaneously. 

Then    there  was  the  golden    ara  with  fiery  eyes, 


Kinich-kakamo,  also  once  adored  as  a  deity,  and  an 
exquisitely  chiselled  golden  Quetzal,  that  emblem  of 
the  great  feathered  serpent,  the  royal  bird  of  Quiche. 

The  actual  value  of  these  curiosities  cannot  be 
estimated  ;  even  this  party,  little  versed  as  they  were 
in  antiquarian  lore,  were  impressed  by  the  fact  that 
their  value  to  science  far  exceeded  that  of  the  pre- 
cious metal  of  which  they  were  composed. 

Battle  axes  and  rude  weapons  of  stone,  implements 
of  warfare  and  for  domestic  use,  filled  two  other 
vaults.  One  of  these  when  opened  gave  out  an  odor 
so  penetrating  that  it  made  every  member  of  the  party 


IN   THE   TREASURE    CAVERNS. 

sneeze  violently.  When  they  could  examine,  they 
found  most  wonderful  feather  garments,  kept  from 
decay  by  the  properties  of  this  powerful  perfume. 
There  were  shields  covered  with  bright  feathers, 
head-dresses,  girdles  and  breastplates  gleaming  with 
the  metallic  hues  of  the  breast  plumage  of  the 
occellated  turkey.  "This  must  have  been  an  Aztec 
capture,"  remarked  John  thoughtfully,  "for  the 
inhabitants  of  Yucatan  were  not  skilled  in  feather- 
work  like  their  brother  Indians  of  Mexico."  Amongst 
the  gold  ornaments  they  discovered  specimens  of  the 
chalcihuitl,  the  emerald  stone  found  only  in  Central 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


75 


and  South  America,  and  extremely  rare  and  precious. 

But  in  the  five  farther  cells  they  came  upon  that 

which —  though  it  at  first  puzzled  them  —  promised  to 

be  more  precious  to  Science  than  all  the  objects  of 

gold  and  silver.  Each 
cell  contained  a  great 
book  of  bark,  folded  after 
the  manner  of  a  Japa- 
nese historic  painting. 
Upon  each  side  of  the 
leaf  were  printed  strange 

A  GLITTERING  HEAP.  characters — hieroglyph- 

ics.     Each  book  when 

opened  was  nine  or  ten  feet  long,  its  leaves  about 
eight  inches  long  and  four  wide.  When  folded, 
it  looked  like  an  ordinary  book  enclosed  between 
two  broad  covers.  Very  reverently  John  removed 
these  ancient  volumes  from  their  hiding-places.  He 
informed  his  companions  in  a  whisper  that  they  were 
probably  looking  upon  the  oldest  written  records  of 
human  history  in  America. 

,  His  father  confirmed  his  statement.  "  We  have 
probably,"  said  he,  "  fallen  upon  what  learned  men 
have  been  looking  for  in  vain,  for  many  years.  These 
are  the  libraries  of  the  H.  Menes,  or  the  wise  men  of 
Yucatan,  buried  centuries  ago.  Tradition  has  told 
of  them,  but  until  to-day  nobody  has  seen  them  who 
could  make  it  known  to  the  world.  And  too,  could 
we  read  those  characters  inscribed  upon  the  stone 
walls  of  the  temple,  we  should  probably  have  some- 
thing of  the  history  of  the  race." 

"  Do  you  think  it  could  be  mastered  ?  "  inquired 
John. 

"Yes;  but  it  would  take  years,  perhaps.  One 
would  have  to  devote  all  his  time." 

A  settled  purpose  was  already  forming  in  John's 
mind.  He  looked  wistfully  at  the  books.  He  felt 
strangely  lifted  beyond  self,  kindred,  country.  He 
was  conscious  of  a  purpose,  a  life  work,  a  mission. 
But  he  remained  silent. 

The  torches  were  flickering  now,  and  one  of  the 
guardsmen  suggested  return.  They  stood  crowded 
about  the  lower  end  of  the  vault,  the  Indians  as 
interested  as  the  young  white  men. 

"  What  will  you  do  with  the  treasure  ? "  Tom 
asked  this. 

"  Do  with  it !  "  John  repeated  quickly.  "  Do  with 
it !  it  isn't  ours." 

"  Not  ours  !  well,  I  should  smile." 

Tom  was  growing  excited.     There  was  more  wea   h 


in  this  little  cavern  than  he  had  ever  conceived  of. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  it  belonged  to  them,  the  only 
persons  who  could  make  use  of  it.  He  hotly  re- 
sented John's  Quixotic  bearing  in  the  matter.  "  Look 
here,  John  North,"  said  he,  "  why  did  you  come  here  ? 
What  was  your  object  in  seeking  this  Silver  City? 
And  this  has  been  here  for  hundreds  of  years.  Nobody 
ain't  claimed  it  in  that  time,  nobody  don't  own  it. 
The  chiefs  that  bronght  it  here  are  all  dead  and  gone, 
years  and  years  ago.  It  might  lay  here  till  doomsday 
and  these  Itzaes  wouldn't  never  use  it.  You  are  as 
good  as  a  king  over  these  Injuns,  and  all  you've  got 
to  do  is  say  you  want  the  whole  lot  and  they'd  give  it 
to  you." 

"And  for  that  very  reason  I  will  not  do  it,"  said 
John.  "They  have  honored  me  with  trust;  they 
repose  in  me  the  most  perfect  confidence.  This  is 
their  property ;  it  is  worth  many  thousand  dollars, 
perhaps  half  a  million.  No,  Tom  !  I  protect  this 
property  for  my  adopted  people  !  " 

But  Tom  was  about  to  give  way  to  his  indignation. 
Captain  North  interfered  :  "  John  is  right.  Look  at 
me,  Tom,  penniless,  old,  and  with  health  broken. 
What  have  I  to  carry  home  to  my  family  after  a  dozen 
years'  absence  ?  Yet  I  would  not  have  my  son  betray 
this  people,  these  helpless  young  sovereigns."  John 
was  deeply  moved. 

"I  knew  you  would  approve  my  decision,  father?  " 
he  said  simply.  "  And  Tom  is  right,  that  I  came 
here  for  gold.  But  I  have  found  it  under  such  cir- 
cumstances that  I  cannot  consider  it  honestly  ours." 

"  Well,  forgive  a  feller,"  said  Tom.  "  But  it  does 
gall  me  to  go  away  and  leave  such  a  mint  of  money 
with  people  who  don't  know  its  value." 

The  royal  Itza  children  had  been  anxiously  listen- 
ing to  this  conver- 
sation, understand- 
ing a  word  here  and 
there.  They  drew 
one  another  aside, 
and  after  whisper- 
ing awhile,  rejoined 
the  group.  Prince 
Zan  placed  his  hand 

on  Tom's  shoulder.  He  spoke  with  truly  regal  dig- 
nity. "Does  my  brother  want  gold?  Behold  it! 
By  law  of  descent,  this  treasure  which  has  come  from 
the  old  caciques  down  to  my  father,  belongs  to  me  and 
to  my  sister.  The  people  own  it  not.  It  is  ours.  To 
you,  my  brother,  to  King  John,  my  sister's  brother,  and 


ANCIENT    BOOKS. 


76 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


to  this  our  new  father,  we  give  it  all.  Take  it  away. 
Do  with  it  what  you  like,  but  do  not  frown  one  upon 
another." 

Xia  stood  in  front  of  John,  her  eyes  shining  almost 
as  luminously  as  the  fire-flies  she  still  kept  in  the 
wicker  cage.  "  You  will  have  it,  will  you  not  ?  "  she 
entreated,  reaching  up  and  taking  his  face  between 
her  hands. 

Silence  fell  upon  the  party.  Here  was  generosity 
that  surpassed  anything  their  cold  Northern  natures 
could  have  conceived.  Here  was  a  forgetfulness  of 
self  that  put  Tom  to  shame, 

"  I  have  thought  of  a  solution  of  the  whole  thing," 
said  John's  father  as  he  drew  his  adopted  daughter 
tenderly  towards  him.  "  It  is  to  make  available,  for 
the  world's  use,  this  precious  collection  of  antiquities. 
As  it  is  —  as  Tom  truly  remarks  —  these  things  are 
doing  no  good  to  any  one,  and  the  first  party  from 
outside  the  walls  that  may  gain  access,  might  destroy 
or  waste  all.  Let  us  accept  the  gift  conditionally. 
Let  us  transport  the  treasure  to  the  North,  and  there 
dispose  of  it  to  the  best  advantage.  These  golden 
vessels  will. bring  ten  times  their  weight  in  gold  as 
art  treasures  for  some  museum ;  these  copper  axes, 
and  even  the  stone  implements,  have  scientific  value. 
We  will  .be  able  to  realize  an  immense  sum,  and, 
paying  ourselves  fairly  for  our  care  and  service  in 
the  matter,  we  shall  return  to  the  Prince  and  Princess 
a  most  royal  sum." 

"  I  see  where  you  come  by  your  level  head,  John," 
said  Tom.  "I  guess  it  wan't  so  much  the  money  I 
wanted  as  it  was  to  see  these  articles  put  to  the  best 
use." 

John  turned  to  the  waiting  children.  He  took  their 
hands  in  his  own.  "  I  will  explain  to  you  what  we 
will  do,"  said  he;  "you  will  be  satisfied." 

They  bowed  their  heads  joyously,  and  as  they 
turned  to  go  out,  little  Xia,  breaking  away,  dared 
John  to  catch  her,  dancing  off  with  a  carol. 

Her  sweet  voice  suddenly  stopped,  broken  by  a 
shout  from  the  bodyguard,  who  had  advanced  to  the 
mouth  of  the  vault,  the  shout  mingling  with  the  dull 
thud  of  a  fall.  John  halted,  himself  in  the  act  of 
darting  after  her,  a  deathly  faintness  coming  over 
him :  she  had  fallen  into  the  well ! 

With  exclamations  of  horror  they  gathered  around 
the  opening,  and  thrust  their  torches  into  the  black- 
ness. It  was  not  deep. 

Low  moans  told  them  that  Xia  was  alive,  but 
there  were  other  sounds  that  stopped  their  heart- 


beats. Shrill  and  prolonged  hisses  greeted  them. 
Two  eyes  like  rubies  looked  at  them.  The  Indians 
sent  up  a  great  cry  :  "  It  is  the  den  of  the  holy  ser- 
pent !  "  and  fled. 

John  roused  himself.  "  Come  back  !  "  he  shouted 
indignantly.  Mastered  by  his  firmness,  the  Indians 
came  back.  Two  sped  up  the  tortuous  passage  to 
the  temple  for  a  rope.  "  Our  only  hope, "  said  John, 
"  if  Xia  is  not  already  killed,  is  to  direct  the  attention 
of  the  serpent  to  ourselves  —  to  prevent  him  from 
making  a  coil  and  crushing  her  at  once.  Take  me 
by  the  hands,  father,  and  lower  me  into  the  well." 


THE   DEN    OF   THE    "  HOLY   SERPENT.' 


His  father  did  as  directed,  without  a  word,  for  his 
son  voiced  his  own  idea.  Time  was  precious.  There 
was  none  to  spare  for  words.  John  felt  around  with 
his  feet ;  the  wall  was  rough,  and  he  got  a  footing. 
But  he  did  not  try  to  descend  as  yet.  He  made  a 
disturbance  to  attract  the  serpent  to  himself.  The 
reptile  was  about  ten  feet  below  him,  his  eyes  shining 
like  red  stars.  With  renewed  hisses,  it  at  last  raised 
itself  from  its  coil  ,•  nearer  and  nearer  came  the  shin- 
ing, terrible  head. 

"Hold  me  hard,  father,  and  draw  up  gradually." 
They  saw  his  purpose  :  to  cause  the  serpent  to  pur- 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


77 


sue  him  out  of  the  well.  It  was  a  course  full  of  peril 
to  themselves,  but  not  one  flinched.  Tom  had  his 
revolver,  as  also  John.  The  Indians  held  their 
lances.  The  strong  arms  raised  him  slowly,  the  ser- 
pent following  steadily.  It  was  within  a  foot  of  the 
surface,  then  it  drew  back,  visibly  its  coil  all  unwound. 

"  Shall  I  shoot  ? "  said  Tom. 

"  No  ! "  said  John,  "  its  fall  would  crush  the  child. 
Can  you  hold  a  little  longer,  father  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  son." 

"Then  drop  me  a  little,  then  raise  me  to  tempt 
the  snake.  Don't  fear;  it's  a  boa  —  its  bite  will  not 
kill,  but  its  folds  can  crush.  We  must  beguile  it  out 
of  the  well." 

There  was  a  sound  now  in  the  passage  above. 
The  Indians  shouted  that  they  were  coming  with  a 
rope.  The  torches  were  burning  dimly,  but  in  their 
gleam  Tom  prepared  a  noose  in  the  centre  of  the 
rope,  by  John's  direction,  while  the  latter,  by  swing- 
ing himself  before  the  serpent  and  kicking  at  him, 
kept  his  head  in  view. 


"  A  strong  rope,  Tom  ? " 

"  The  best  ever  twisted." 

John's  voice  came  once  more  out  of  the  dusk  :  "  I 
will  make  another  effort  to  have  him  raise  his  head  to 
the  surface  of  the  well.  Two  of  you  take  the  rope ; 
you,  Tom,  and  one  of  the  Indians ;  place  yourselves 
one  on  each  side  the  well.  When  his  head  appears, 
drop  the  noose  over  it  and  draw  tight!  At  that 
moment,  I  will  shoot  a  ball  into  his  brain,  then  I 
must  leave  the  rest  to  you.  Ready  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  ready." 

There  was  a  silence,  broken  only  by  low  moans 
from  the  little  victim  in  the  depths  of  the  den.  Pro- 
voked by  the  active  movements  of  the  expected  prey 
before  him,  the  great  boa  raised  itself  to  the  full 
extent  its  coil  would  allow.  The  head  with  its  angrily 
glaring  eyes  now  shone  in  the  centre  of  the  well ;  it 
evidently  was  hesitating  whether  to  dart  at  its  tor- 
mentor or  not.  Its  red  mouth  was  open,  its  forked 
tongue  playing  in  and  out  like  lightning. 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


THE     QUETZAL. 


CHAPTER  V. 


HERE,  now  ! "  whispered 
John,  bringing  his  revolver 
to  bear  upon  one  of  those 
red  eyes,  and  then  drop- 
ping it  to  a  point  a  few 
inches  below,  so  the  bullet 
would  penetrate  the  brain. 
The  round  noose  in  the  centre  of  the  rope  drawn 
across  the  mouth  of  the  well  was  suspended  just 
above  the  head  and  held  by  three  men.  Suddenly  it 
fell.  The  men  at  either  end  pulled  savagely,  tight- 
ening the  knot  about  the  reptile's  throat.  Simul- 
taneously with  this  movement  came  the  report  of 
the  revolver,  rilling  the  cavern  with  deafening  echoes. 
So  near  was  the  muzzle  to  the  serpent's  head  that 
the  bullet  opened  a  great  wound.  The  monster 
writhed  and  lashed  the  walls  of  the  well  with  its 
powerful  tail,  but  not  long.  The  men  ran  around 
to  the  farther  side  of  the  well,  meeting,  then  pulled 
together,  and  the  horrid  body  was  drawn  out  of  the 
den. 

The  well  was  clear.  Xia  was  safe.  But  the  Ser- 
pent was  not  yet  dead.  It  was  still  capable  of  the 
destruction  of  the  whole  party.  Its  power  of  muscu- 
lar contraction  scarcely  impaired,  it  lay  striking  out 
savagely. 

John  had  been  drawn  up  at  the  same  instant  with 
the  serpent,  and  now,  seizing  his  broad  knife,  he  sprang 
into  the  struggling  group.  Two  of  the  Indians  with 
their  lances  were  slashing  at  the  serpent,  leaping  this 
way  and  that  to  avoid  its  blows,  while  those  at  the 
rope  could  only  keep  out  of  its  way  by  dragging  it 
on  toward  the  narrow  passage  where  it  could  not 
strike.  Only  one  torch  remained,  but  by  its  light 
John's  father  with  a  nervous  blow  cut  through  the 
scaly  skin  in  the  mid-back ;  by  another  he  severed 
the  vertebrae,  thus  paralyzing  the  monster.  The  fight 
was  now  virtually  over. 


"  Hurrah !  "  cried  Tom,  "  we've  fixed  him  ! "  Tom 
had  held  on  bravely ;  but  for  his  example  the  natives 
would  have  fled  away  from  the  horrid  fight  more  than 
once. 

"Now  the  rope  and  torch  —  this  way!"  shouted! 
John.  With  great  difficulty  they  unloosed  the  noose 
from  the  serpent,  and  brought  it  to  him  at  the  mouth  of 
the  well. 

"  Round  my  waist  with  it,  and  lower  me  quick,"" 
said  John.  "  Give  me  the  torch !  There  !  Now  let 
me  down!" 

"  Be  careful,  my  boy  ;  the  serpent's  mate  may  be 
there,"  said  his  father. 


THE    PEOPLE   VIEWING    THE   SERPENT. 

"  No ;    for   these   great   boas   nearly   always   live 
alone,"  said  John  cheerily. 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


79 


The  well  was  but  fifteen  feet  deep.  On  the  bot- 
tom he  found  the  little  princess,  breathing,  but  un- 
conscious. 

He  did  not  stay  for  a  glance  around,  but  hastily 
gathered  her  into  his  arms. 

"  Pull !  "  he  signalled  to  his  friends  anxiously  wait- 
ing above. 

Tom  bent  and  received  the  child,  but  the  moment 
John  was  on  his  feet  again  he  took  her  back  in 
his  arms,  and  ordered  the  party  to  make  haste  out 
into  the  open  air. 

Prince  Zan  seized  the  torch  and  sprang  ahead. 
They  did  not  halt  in  the  temple,  but  hurried  on 
to  the  palace,  and  laid  the  child  on  her  own  couch, 
in  her  own  apartment.  There  was  a  faint  sigh  and 
smile  as  the  jar  of  the  hasty  flight  ceased  and  she 
felt  herself  sinking  among  the  soft  pillows.  Prince 
Zan  explained  in  brief  words,  and  with  an  exclama- 
tion of  horror.  An  old  woman  among  the  attendants 
lifted  her  again,  and  bore  her  into  an  inner  apart- 
ment. 

John  was  anxious,  but  he  did  not  see  her  again 
until  nightfall.  However,  Zan  came  frequently  with 
bulletins.  She  had  recovered ;  she  was  resting  ;  she 
was  eating  chicken  broth;  she  hoped  John  was  not 
hurt ;  and  at  last,  she  wished  to  see  the  cacique,  her 
kind  brother  John. 

As  he  sat  holding  the  little  tremulous,  dusky  hand, 
one  of  her  maids  brought  him  a  coin  which  she  said 
she  had  taken  from  Xia's  grasp  while  she  lay  uncon- 
scious. It  was  an  old  Spanish  doubloon,  a  gold  coin, 
bearing  date  of  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. It  must  have  been  clutched  as  she  lay  at  the 
bottom  of  the  pit.  He  showed  the  coin  >to  his  father. 
The  old  man's  eye  grew  brighter  as  he  read  the  inscrip- 
tion. 

"  Do  you  remember,"  said  he  to  Tom,  "  the  tradi- 
tion I  told  you,  how  the  Itzaes  captured  the  plunder 
of  a  Spanish  city  ?" 

"  Well !  "  answered  Tom  eagerly. 

"And  how  I  said  those  gold  and  silver  vessels 
were  probably  part  of  that  plunder  ?  " 

"Just  so." 

"And  that  it  was  strange  we  did  not  find  any 
coins  ?  " 

"  Just  so ;  and  the  coins  were  hidden  in  the  ser- 
pent's well  !  Ain't  that  so  ?  And  this  is  one  of  them 
that  our  little  angel  grabbed  when  she  was  struggling 
there  in  the  dark !  Won't  we  be  rich  ?  " 

John  and  his  father  smiled:  Tom's  eagerness  to 


be  rich  amused  them.  "  A  little  while  ago,"  laughed 
John,  "  you  planned  out  our  lives  here.  And  now 
you  only  wish  to  get  up  North  again  and  live  at  your 
ease." 

"  Well,"  said  Tom,"  it's  getting  kind  o'  monotonous, 
not  to  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  lay  under  a  cocoanut- 
tree  from  morning  till  night,  and  just  eat,  sleep,  and 
be  happy.  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Cacique,  it's  rather  wearing 
on  a  feller." 

"  I  don't  call  serpent-hunting  monotonous,"  laughed 
John,  "  and  it  seemed  to  me  you  had  a  terrible  dash  of 
excitement  in  the  fight  with  the  Caribs.  Then  there's 
your  army  to  drill,  the  Prince  to  instruct  in  mechanics, 
and  all  the  improvements  for  a  whole  kingdom  to 
invent  and  keep  in  running  order.  As  for  future  adven- 
ture, I  guess  we  could  get  enough  outside  among  the 
Mayas  and  Caribs." 

"Well,  what's  the  use,"  said  Tom,  "if  nobody 
knows  all  this  to  home  !  I  confess  I'd  like  to  walk  into 
one  of  them  confounded  quiet  New  England  stores, 
where  I  used  to  run  around  barefooted,  and  slap  down 
one  of  these  old  yeller  doubloons  on  the  counter  and 
say,  says  I,  'Trot  out  the  best  you  have  now,  whatever 
'tis  —  I'll  take  the  whole  piece.  You  can  send  it  up  to 
Thomas  Bolton,  at  the  hotel.  Don't  remember  Thomas 
Bolton,  do  you  ?  s'pose  not.'  And  then  I'd  set  'em 
a-remembering  !  I  shouldn't  enjoy  that  sort  of  small 
thing  now,  should  I  ?  Oh,  no,  not  a  bit  of  it !  Course 
not!" 

John  laughed.  "  I  don't  know  as  I  blame  you. 
But  did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  we  are  forbidden  to 
leave  this  city  ?  " 

"  'Twould  be  a  pity  if  a  king  couldn't  get  out  of 
his  own  kingdom,"  laughed  Tom.  "John,  I  heard 
you  tell  the  cacique  that  day  he  was  killed  in  the 
fight  that  we  should 
get  out,  hook  or 
crook,  four  months 
from  that  day ! 

"Three  months  are 
gone,  and  in  one 
month  more  I  expect 
to  be  on  my  way 
North.  But  I've 
been  puzzlin'  ever 
sence  to  think  out  how  it's  going  to  be  did.  You 
are  cacique,  to  be  sure,  but  every  priest  in  this 
town  has  his  eye  on  you  all  the  same." 

John  smiled.  "  Did  you  ever  hear  of  an  eclipse, 
Tom  ?  " 


A   LEAF    INSECT. 


8o 


CACIQUE     JOHN. 


THE  PALM    WEAVIL. 


"  I  don't  see  how  that  signifies,"  said  Tom. 
"  Well,  you  will.     The  people  have  been  asking  for 
some  sign  in   the  sky,  of   my  celestial  origin  ;  and 
about  the  time  that  total  eclipse  of  the  moon  is  due, 

I'm  going  to  proph- 
ecy of  its  appearance 
to  the  very  minute." 

"I  don't  see  how 
that's  going  to  help 
us,"  said  Tom. 

A  great  noise  with- 
out here  interrupted. 
They  found  the  ser- 
pent had  been  drawn 
into  the  street.  The  priests  learning  the  cause  of  the 
uproar  in  the  cavern  had  protested  against  its  re- 
moval. They  declared  the  slaying  of  the  snake  to  be 
a  crime.  It  was  their  Sacred  Serpent.  Unknown 
to  the  people,  they  had  fed  him  there  for  years.  He 
was  the  guard  of  the  secret  treasure  of  the  tribe.  He 
had  been  brought  hither  from  the  forests  of  Tabasco. 
Every  week  they  had  sacrificed  to  him  four  sacred 
rabbits,  reared  in  the  seclusion  of  a  distant  "holy 
garden." 

These  six  .keepers  of  the  temple  now  followed  the 
men  who  were  removing  the  serpent.  They  openly 
denounced  the  young  cacique.  "  He  has  estranged," 
said  they,  "  the  people  from  their  gods.  Lo  !  the  son 
and  daughter  of  our  king  are  daily  wavering  in  their 
worship.  He  tells  them  there  is  but  one  God  and 
that  he  has  no  visible  shape  on  earth.  Our  young 
sovereigns,  no  doubt,  already  believe  these  heresies. 
They  will  soon  openly  cease  to  worship  at  the  shrine 
of  Quetzalcoatl.  The  religion,  the  priests,  the  tem- 
ples of  the  Itzaes  will  ere  long  cease  to  exist.  This 
city  itself  will  be  thrown  open  to  the  tread  of  strange 
nations  !  We  warn  you  ! " 

Sullenly  they  permitted  the  passage  of  the  serpent 
through  the  temple.  They  washed  the  dark  stains  from 
the  floors  in  gloom  and  execration.  But  that  night, 
in  the  darkness  of  their  inner  sanctuary,  they  planned 
a  holy  scheme  of  vengeance. 

The  serpent  was  viewed  by  all  the  people. 
Stretched  along  the  marble  pavement,  it  measured 
eighteen  feet  in  length,  and  its  bulk  was  prodigious. 
They  admired  the  wondrous  courage  of  its  slayers, 
but  they  grew  silent  in  the  presence  of  the  priests. 
This  creature  was  holy :  the  symbol  of  the  wisdom  of 
their  god  ;  the  guard  of  the  temple  treasures.  More 
than  one  gazed  upon  the  white  cacique  as  upon  the 


object  of  some  near  and  mysterious  doom.  John 
was  informed  of  the  anger  of  the  priests  by  Prince 
Zan.  He  was  troubled.  He  spoke  to  his  father. 

"  A  struggle  with  these  keepers  of  the  false 
gods  is  probably  inevitable,  and  probably  near  at 
hand.  Let  it  come.  I  am  not  their  natural  ruler, 
yet  their  people  are  as  children  in  my  hands,  and  I 
will  at  least  lead  them  away  from  the  worship  of 
images  of  stone.  Still  I  am  sorry  to  have  offended 
the  priests.  But  out  upon  them !  They  would  have 
preferred  little  Xia  to  be  devoured  by  that  monster, 
rather  than  that  we  should  have  slain  him  ! " 

"  Move  cautiously,"  said  his  father  ;  "you  are  in  a 
bad  spot.  Appease  them  if  you  can.  Why  not  pre- 
pare the  skin  of  the  serpent,  and  give  it  to  them  as  a 
peace  offering  ? " 

John  thought  well  of  this.  It  was  the  labor  of 
days,  but  at  last  the  great  serpent  was  skinned  and 
preserved,,  and  so  well  prepared  that  he  looked  as 
though  yet  alive.  Even  his  eyes  shone  like  the  ter- 
rible eyes  of  life.  The  priests  received  the  gift  in 
silence,  yet  with  evident  awe  and  astonishment ;  and 
they  set  the  gigantic  creature  up  under  its  great 
namesake  in  stone,  in  the  inner  court. 

Xia  had  recovered  so  rapidly  that  she  witnessed 
the  installation  of  the  stuffed  serpent  in  the  temple. 
She  smiled  but  faintly  at  the  ceremonies.  "  It  will 
please  the  priests,"  said  she,  "but  is  it  not  foolish  to 
burn  incense  before  a  creature  that  is  so  dead  ?  Teach 
my  people,  oh,  my  brother,  about  the  one  true  God 
of  whom  you  speak  to  me  ! " 

The  young  New  Englander  turned  his  eyes  away 
from  her  gentle  gaze.  He  took  her  hand  in  his,  but 
he  did  not  s"peak.  He  was  counting  the  cost. 

One  evening  about  sunset  a  trumpet-blast  from  the 
sentinel  at  the  eastern  gate,  who  ceaselessly  paced 
the  battlements,  on  the  watch  for  friend  or  foe, 
called  the  people 
into  the  royal  ave- 
nue. Tom  as  chief 
of  the  troops  has- 
tened to  the  sentry- 
box,  and  from  his 
elevated  station 
looked  out  over  the 
valley. 

A  solitary  footman  was  crossing  the  fields.  It  was 
dusk  when  he  reached  the  drawbridge,  and,  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  white  cacique's  body-guard,  the 
ponderous  gates  revolved  and  let  him  inside  the  walls. 


A    "  WALKING-STICK." 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


81 


"  I  return  from  the  hunt,"  he  said  simply. 
The    Itzaes  who   had  received   him   greeted   him 
warmly. 

"  Yes ;  a  long  hunt,"  said  Tom,  the  war-chief,  with 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  COURIER. 

a  smile,  and  forthwith  took  him  to  John,  while  the 
populace  dispersed. 

It  was  one  of  the  couriers  who  had  gone  out  with 
the  message  to  Cozumel  a  month  before.  He  was 
way-worn,  and  he  limped  from  a  wound  in  the  leg; 
his  bow  was  broken,  his  quiver  empty,  and  his  shield 
nearly  split  in  twain. 

John  looked  at  him  pityingly.  "  Your  companion  ?  " 
asked  he. 

He  shook  his  head.  In  a  few  words  he  told  the 
story  of  the  enterprise.  The  ruler  of  the  Mayas  had 
tried  to  prevent  them  from  crossing  his  territory  ;  but 
through  the  aid  of  Christobal,  secretly,  they  had 
reached  Tuloom.  There  they  found  a  canoe,  and  finally 
reached  the  island  of  Cozumel.  There,  too,  they  ran 
a  death  risk,  the  mate  and  Don  Pedro  taking  them 
for  spies  from  the  mainland,  and  warning  them  back 
from  the  shore  with  rifles.  They  held  up  their  let- 
ters in  despair,  and  that  saved  them.  The  overjoyed 


men  on  the  island  kept  them  a  week.  When  well 
rested  they  were  carried  to  the  mainland  in  the  long- 
boat, and  left  with  many  blessings  and  cautions  to 
begin  the  perilous  journey  back  to  the  Itza  valley. 

The  Mayas  this  time  detained  them  forcibly,  and 
confined  them  in  wooden  cages.  The  fourth  night 
this  messenger  made  his  escape.  He  worked  desper- 
ately to  free  his  comrade  in  the  other  cage,  and  as 
dawn  broke  in  the  east  they  both  crept  out  towards 
the  village  borders.  But  the  escape  was  discovered, 
pursuit  made,  and  his  fellow  messenger  was  sur- 
rounded, struck  down,  and  borne  away.  The  broken 
bow  and  battered  shield  were  evidence  that  he  who 
had  escaped  had  done  so  only  after  a  fierce  struggle. 

The  Indian  told  his  story  simply.  Something  yet 
troubled  him  more  than  his  wound ;  more  than  the 
loss  of  his  comrade.  "My  master,"  said  he  in  a 
broken  voice,  "  my  companion  had  the  letters  from 
your  friends.  I  have  not  one." 

This  was  terrible  news.  Their  hopes  went  out. 
But  they  determined  to  rescue  the  man  who  had  the 
message.  Proclaiming  that  one  of  the  cacique's  own 
body-guard  was  held  prisoner  by  the  Mayas,  war-chief 
Tom  dispatched  men  ordering  the  Maya  chief  at  once 
to  set  the  captive  at  liberty  or  the  Itzae  nation  would 
march  upon  his  territory. 

This  done,  John,  trembling  a  little  at  the  bold  step, 
turned  his  attention  to  the  defences  of  the  city.  It 
was  possible  the  Mayas  would  not  wait  for  attack, 
but  march  upon  them.  Without  exciting  too  greatly 
the  fears  of  the  simple  Itzaes,  he  urged  each  man  to 
plant  every  available  foot  of  their  gardens  with  corn 
and  beans.  Rooms  in  the  temple  and  academy  were 
set  apart  as  storehouse  and  granary,  and  a  portion 
of  the  crops  already 
ripe,  as  it  was  brought 
in  from  the  valley  sur- 
rounding the  walls,  was 
stored  for  the  general 
use  should  need  arise. 
In  the  pure,  dry  atmos- 
phere of  this  region, 
these  stores  would  keep 
for  years.  The  joyous 
Itzaes  were  delighted 
with  the  prudent  fore-  RESPLENDENT  TROGANS. 

thought  of  their  ruler  in  preparing  for  a  possible 
season  of  drought,  or  of  great  rains,  for  the  older 
ones  could  recall  more  than  one  period  of  starva- 
tion, when  many  of  their  number  had  perished. 


82 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


An  attack  from  the  Mayas  was  not  generally  con- 
sidered or  discussed.  Every  man  worked  diligently 
and  cheerfully. 

John  often  contemplated  the  scene  with  a  yearn- 
ing  in   his    heart   which    disclosed   itself   in    tears. 

o 

Would  that  he  could  forever  isolate  the  shining  city 
and  its  peaceful  people  from  the  eye  and  step  of  civ- 
ilization ! 

The  four  square  miles  of  territory  enclosed  by  the 
four  great  walls  was  one  vast  garden  dotted  with 
pleasant  abodes.  About  a  thousand  families  occu- 
pied these  peaceful  dwellings.  They  constituted  one 
great  family,  presided  over  by  a  royal  family  —  an 
Arcadian  kingdom.  Harmony  and  love  prevailed, 
because  the  thirst  for  power  and  the  greed  for  gain 
were  alike  unknown  here.  The  priesthood  was  the 
only  internal  element  to  be  feared.  Outside  the 
mighty  walls,  in  the  moat,  all  the  kinds  of  water-fowl 
peculiar  to  Yucatan  sported  in  the  water  and  built 
iheir  nests  in  the  rushes  that  lined  the  banks. 
Except  the  few  that  had  been  shot  by  John  for 
specimens  for  the  museum,  they  had  remained 
unharmed  for  centuries.  In  case  of  siege,  they 
would  constitute  a  welcome  addition  to  the  food 
within  the  walls.  It  is  true  they  had  no  cows,  horses, 
swine,  sheep  or  goats.  But  fowl  they  had  in  great 
numbers,  and  wild  turkeys  abounded,  besides  a 
curious  native  bird  somewhat  resembling  a  turkey, 
called  the  Hocco.  This  bird  is  about  half  the  size  of 
the  turkey,  and  known  by  the  Spanish  name,  Faisan, 
or  pheasant.  Its  plumage  is  very  glossy  and  it  has 
a  curious  crown  of  feathers.  Its  flesh  is  very  delicate, 
and  much  superior  to  chicken.  It  flocked  the  moun- 
tains and  sometimes  came  down  into  the  gardens  of 
Itzamutul. 

The  material  resources  of  the  city  were  ample  for 
a  year's  siege.  More  fortunate  than  the  Aztecs  of 
Mexico,  whose  supply  of  water,  conducted  by  aque- 
ducts to  their  capital,  was  cut  off  during  the  siege, 
the  Itzaes  obtained  theirs  from  a  source  within  the 
walls  —  from  beneath  the  city ;  from  the  cavernous, 
coral  rock  underlying  the  whole  peninsula  of  Yucatan. 
John  had  found  that  the  Itzaes  believed  that  the 
great  treasure-cave  where  the  serpent  was  destroyed 
extended  from  their  city  to  the  sea,  a  distance  of  thirty 
leagues.  This  he  doubted,  but  still  he  had  not  explored 
the  passage  that  certainly  existed,  leading  off  to  un- 
known distances.  Pure  water  they  obtained  by  descend- 
ing to  a  natural  well  near  the  space  allotted  as  a  market- 
place. He  was  aware  of  the  very  singular  fact  that 


there  are  no  rivers  in  Yucatan,  or  very  few  that  flow 
above  the  surface,  but  that  nearly  all  flow  under- 
ground. They  come  from  no  one  knows  where, 
and  run  no  one  knows  whither  !  Now  and  then  they 
break  out  into  one  of  these  immense  caverns,  and  the 
people  living  in  Yucatan  draw  all  their  water  from 
these  caves.  These  are  called  Cenotes,  or  "water 
caves."  The  water  is  always  pure  and  cool,  always 
of  the  same  depth,  and  always  of  the  same  tempera- 
ture. 

It  had  been  a  favorite  morning  recreation  with  both 
himself  and  Tom  to  watch  the  Itza  girls  wend  their  way 
towards  the  great  Cenote.  One  after  another  they 
would  pass  with  large  urn-shaped  jars  poised  on  their 
heads,  chatting  and  laughing.  All  at  once  they 
would  disappear,  as  though  swallowed  up  by  the  earth, 
into  a  passage  winding  downwards.  This  led  into  an 
immense  chamber,  the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by 
stalagmitic  pillars.  Passing  in  beyond  they  crossed 
a  deep  and  black  chasm,  walking  firmly  upon  a  single 
log,  and  descended  a  ladder  of  slender  poles,  finally 
reaching  the  pool.  In  this  way,  for  hundreds  and 
hundreds  of  years,  had  the  Itza  maidens  and  matrons 
obtained  water  for  household  use. 

It  was  one  evening  after  having  incited  everybody 
to  do  his  best  to  put  the  city  in  a  well-provisioned 
condition,  that  John  was  chatting  with  his  friends  in 
the  palace  court.  "  Look  !  "  he  said,  "  our  seldom- 
seen  friends,  the  priests !  " 

The  six  keepers  of  the  Sacred  Fire  came  HI,  and 
paused  before  him.  They  speedily  dispatched  their 
errand.  They  had  found  their  god  greatly  incensed  at 
the  slaying  of  the  Treasure  Serpent,  and  only  partly 
propitiated  by  the  offering  of  the  Holy  Skin.  Another 
thing  there  remained  to  do.  The  mighty  young.cacique 
possessed  the  gift  of  bringing  to  the  semblance  of 
life  the  birds  he  s-hot  in  the  air  and  trees.  If  he 
would  exercise  his  art  upon  the  Holy  Bird  of  the 
tribe,  the  sacred  Quetzal,  that  it  might  stand  forever 
before  their  god,  beside  the  Holy  Serpent-skin,  then 
would  he  smile  once  more  upon  the  nation,  and  the 
atonement  be  sufficient  for  the  sacrilege  of  slaugh- 
ter. Then,  indeed,  they  would  have  an  ever-present 
emblem :  Quetzal,  the  bird  of  green  and  golden 
plumage  ;  Coatl,  the  sacred  serpent, —  Quetzal-coatl, 
the  mightiest  being  of  their  mythology.  Thus  might 
evil  be  turned  into  positive  blessing. 

John  smilingly  promised  :  "  Bring  me  the  bird ;  I 
will  prepare  it  with  great  care  for  the  temple." 

The  priests  bowed  low  :     "  Great  king,  most  royal 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


cacique  of  Itzamutul,  that  bird  liveth  in  the  mighty 
forests  of  Peten,  near  the  lake  of  the  Sacred  Tapir, 
five  days'  journey  hence.  If  thou  wilt  consent  to  go 
with  these,  thy  servants,  we  will  accompany  thee." 

"  I  will  go,  my  brothers.  To-morrow  we  will  start 
at  daylight." 

The  sombre-garbed  priests  bowed  once  more,  and 
withdrew.  As  they  shuffled  through  the  corridor,  Zan 
and  Xia  came  tripping  in  to  bid  their  friends  good- 


She  answered  swiftly,  with  : 

"  Listen  to  me,  and  you,  my  brother,  listen.  Dost 
remember  the  legend  of  our  ancestors  —  that  they 
had  two  gods  until  their  tribes  were  united  ?  One 
was  he  of  the  Aztecs,  one  was  he  of  the  Itzaes. 
The  Aztecs  were  fierce  and  cruel ;  they  sacrificed  to 
their  god  the  lives  of  men  and  children.  It  was  many 
years  before  our  ancestors  could  destroy  this  wicked 
worship,  and  replace  it  with  the  true  one,  with  its 


"  NOW,    OH    QUETZALCOATL,    THOU    ART   ABOUT   TO    BE   AVENGED  !  " 


night,  for  it  was  an  Itza  custom  to  say  to  one  another, 
"  May  the  gods  bless  thy  rest!" 

"  What  wanted  the  priests  ?  "  asked  Xia,  climbing 
to  John's  knee. 

"That  I  go  with  them  to-morrow,  to  seek  the 
Quetzal,  my  lady  sovereign." 

She  could  not  hide  her  sudden  terror. 

"  Ah,  no !  You  must  not  do  that.  You  do  not 
know  the  chief  man  of  the  priests,  Balam-helam.  He 
has  that  in  his  heart  that  would  cause  him  to  kill 
thee." 

"What,  my  little  Itza  queen,  are  you  afraid  of  your 
own  priests  ?  " 


offerings  of  flowers  and  fruit,  instead  of  blood.  Hast 
never  heard  of  the  victim  that  the  Aztecs  yearly 
offered  to  their  idols  ?  They  chose  the  fairest  and 
most  god-like  of  their  young  men,  and  for  a  twelve- 
month honored  him  above  all  others  in  the  land.  As 
the  allotted  time  drew  to  a  close  they  decked  him 
with  flowers,  and  carried  him  through  the  streets  on 
their  shoulders,  and  all  saluted  him  as  a  king.  Then 
they  led  him  to  their  temple,  built  upon  a  great  pyra- 
mid of  stone  —  there  is  one,  my  father  told  us,  at 
Uxmal.  There,  in  sight  of  all  the  people,  they 
stretched  him  upon  a  great  flat  stone.  The  high 
priest  came,  and  with  his  knife  of  sharpest  flint  cut 


84 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


open  his  noble  breast  and  tore  from  it  the  innocent 
heart  as  an  offering  to  their  idol.  Here,  even  in  this 
city,  those  wicked  Aztec  priests  used  thus  to  kill 
victims,  until  my  people  crushed  it  out  —  this  awful 
worship  of  blood. 

"  Now,  what  is  it  I  would  say  to  you  ?  This  !  " — 
she  pressed  her  lips  to  John's  right  ear  and  whispered 
— "  Balam-helam,  our  high  priest,  is  the  distant  son 
of  one  of  those  man-slayers.  When  I  look  at  him  I 
think  he  would  restore  the  ancient  worship." 

Our  brave  New  Englander  was  startled  as  the  pos- 
sible perfidy  of  the  priests  was  shown  to  him.  But 
he  had  given  his  royal  word ;  not  the  fear  of  all  the 
priests  of  the  peninsula  should  make  him  break  it. 

Xia  on  her  couch  in  the  farther  apartment  could 
not  sleep ;  through  the  night  she  lay  tossing  feverishly. 
At  dawn  she  took  her  station  where  she  could  watch 
the  departure  of  the  hunting  party  :  Cacique  John, 
his  chief  Tom,  the  two  pages,  and  four  priests. 

The  high  priest  had  insisted  that  no  men-of-war 
should  accompany  them,  and  John  had  yielded,  relying 
upon  his  superior  weapons  to  give  him  the  advantage 
in  case  of  need.  He  carried  over  his  shoulder  his 
light  bird-gun,  well  charged  with  shot,  and  his  revolver 
was  in  his  belt.  Parting  from  his  father  whom  he 
left  in  charge  of  affairs,  he  sought  the  royal  children, 
but  they  were  not  to  be  found. 

It  was  thought  ten  days  would  complete  the  journey. 
The  first  night  they  camped  in  the  forest.  Each 
party  kept  by  itself.  The  pages  John  knew  were 
loyal.  But  what  were  they  ?  Young  lads  with  no 
weapons  but  their  forest-knives.  Under  pretence  of 
possible  attack  from  the  Caribs,  John  placed  one  of 
the  four  on  watch  throughout  the  night;  each  had 
his  three  hours'  vigil.  They. were  unavowed  four 
against  four,  John  felt.  But,  standing  on  the  defen- 
sive, they  must  seem  wholly  unsuspicious. 

Four  days  and  nights  passed.  Their  way  led 
through  vast  and  luxuriant  forests,  where  the  trees 
climbed  to  the  clouds,  carrying  up  circling  draperies 
of  vines.  Birds  so  strange  and  beautiful  that  the 
young  naturalist  could  scarcely  refrain  from  stopping 
to  shoot  them,  filled  this  great  wood.  Quadrupeds, 
so  rare  in  museums  that  they  would  have  brought 
fabulous  prices,  crossed  their  path  without  provoking 
a  shot.  One  night  they  were  disturbed  by  those  weird 
insects,  the  "  walking-sticks,"  whose  slender  green 
bodies  looked  like  animated  twigs.  Almost  as  curious 
were  the  leaf-insects. 

One  morning  they  saw  a  beautifully  mottled  cane 


lying  in  their  path.  Tom  stooped  to  pick  it  up,  but 
one  of  the  pages  caught  him  by  the  arm.  What  was 
his  surprise  to  find  this  object  to  be  a  living  and 
venomous  viper,  the  bite  of  which  was  sure  and 
sudden  death. 

The  evening  of  the  fifth  day  saw  them  in  the  forest 
of  Tikal.  It  was  a  weird  sight,  this  forest,  for  it  was 
filled  with  ruins  of  temples,  pyramids,  and  great  stone 
idols  ;  and  altars  rose  up  everywhere.  Many  hundred 
years  before,  it  must  have  been  the  site  of  a  city ;  now, 
wild  beasts  lurked  behind  its  altars,  and  birds,  ser- 
pents and  monkeys  inhabited  the  abandoned  rooms 
of  the  crumbling  structures. 

They  cleared  a  room  of  one  building  of  its  rub- 
bish and  there  encamped.  That  night  it  was  John's 
watch  for  the  three  hours  preceding  dawn,  and  after- 
ward he  strolled  away  seeking  the  Quetzal.  He  was 
anxious  to  terminate  this  suspense  and  he  resolved  to 
secure  the  birds  that  very  day  and  begin  the  return 
march  the  next  morning. 

By  and  by,  in  the  distance,  he  heard  a  faint  cry. 
It  came  nearer  and  nearer :  Cou-rou-cou,  cou-rou-cou  ! 
Presently  he  heard  it  over  his  head  in  a  tall  spiny 
palm.  Gazing  intently  he  at  last  saw  a  golden-green 
bird,  with  a  long  glittering  tail,  crouched  low  upon 
a  palm  rib.  At  once  he  raised  his  gun  and  fired. 
The  royal  beauty  fell  at  his  feet,  so  glorious  in  its 
splendor  of  plumage  that  he  was  lost  in  admiration 
and  amazement.  He  raised  it  from  the  ground  almost 
reverently. 

An  exclamation  startled  him.  He  turned  to  see 
Tom,  the  pages,  the  priests.  The  report  of  the  gun 
had  roused  them  all. 

He  joyfully  held  out  his  prize  to  the  high  priest. 
Balam-helam  moved  away,  his  brow  darkening.  His 
companions  followed  him. 

John  was  surprised.     He  stood  pondering. 

"  It  is  not  what  they  wanted,"  he  said  at  last,  to 
Tom.  Drawing  him  aside  he  hastily  related  the  sus- 
picions of  the  little  princess.  "  But,"  concluded  he, 
"  we  are  a  match  for  them.  I  consider  myself 
absolved  from  my  promises.  I  have  the  Quetzal. 
We  will  stay  here  to-day,  secure  what  specimens  we 
can,  for  the  Institution,  then  make  all  haste  to-morrow 
to  return." 

Balam-helam  meantime  gathered  his  three  followers 
in  the  ruins  of  a  temple  near  by.  "  He  has  done  it," 
he  hissed  between  his  teeth.  "  He  has  killed  the 
bird  beloved  ef  our  deity.  I  have  made  sure  of  the 
vengeance  of  our  gods.  Having  also  slain  the  serpent, 


CACIQUE    JOHN, 


he  hath  incurred  the  twofold  wrath.  They  both 
must  die  J  We  will  have  a  noble  sacrifice,  as  of  old 
did  our  fathers." 

All  that  day  Balam-helam  searched  the  forest, 
beneath  the  dampest  ferns  and  rankest  vegetation. 
Digging  up  the  roots  of  two  plants,  he  returned  late  in 
the  afternoon  to  camp. 

"To-night,  at  the  evening  repast,"  said  he  to  the 
priests,  "  I  will  place  this  root  in  the  soup.  It  has 
the  power  of  causing  a  deep  stupor  to  seize  those  who 
eat  of  it.  But  this  other  root  —  note  its  different  shape 
—  will  prevent  the  effects  of  the  first,  if  eaten  soon 
after.  See  you  my  meaning  ?  We  have  the  anti- 
dote, the  strangers  have  it  not.  When  sleep  has 
seized  them,  we  will  call  upcn  our  gods  to  behold  the 
feasts  of  old  spread  before  them." 

Grimly  at  the  evening  meal  the  priests  regarded  the 
young  cacique  and  his  chief.  They  ate  heartily  them- 


selves, and  no  suspicion  could  have  been  awakened. 
At  midnight,  even  the  watch  slept.  There  was  no 
need  of  haste  and  stealth.  Balam-helam  laughed 
aloud,  spurning  the  hated  cacique  with  his  foot. 

"  Drag  them  to  the  altar  !  "  he  cried  in  evil  glee. 

Among  the  near  palms,  a  giant  stone  towered 
above  a  square  block  of  marble,  both  hideously 
sculptured.  Upon  the  marble  they  stretched  the 
doomed  young  strangers.  The  high  priest  drew  the 
sacrificial  knife. 

"Now,  oh,  Quetzalcoatl,  thou  art  about  to  be 
avenged  !  Let  the  blood  of  these  strangers  atone  for 
the  neglect  of  the  Itza  nation  these  long  years." 

He  paused  transfixed,  his  hand  at  the  throat  of 
the  young  cacique,  his  knife  half-raised.  John  had 
awakened  from  his  stupor ;  his  clear  eyes  were  up- 
lifted, gazing  straight  into  the  baleful  orbs  above  him. 
For  a  moment  Balam-helam  shrank  abashed. 


86 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


BACK     INTO     THE     WILDERNESS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


HAT  !  falter  !  "    exclaimed  one 

i 

of  the  under  priests  ;  "  give  me 
the  knife  of  sacrifice  !  " 

Balam-helam  recovered  himself. 
"  Back  to  thy  place  !  I  alone  am  of 
Aztec  blood  ;  I  alone  am  of  the  ancient  priesthood  ; 
I  alone  may  appease  Quetzalcoatl  in  his  wrath ! " 
The  fires  of  frenzy  were  relighted  in  his  eyes.  A  cry 
of  exultation  and  hate  broke  from  his  lips  as  he 
raised  the  sacrificial  knife.  A  smile  followed  as  he 
saw  John  in  vain  trying  to  move  in  the  nightmare  of 
the  drug ;  a  great  pallor  succeeded  the  smile  as  he 
heard  a  rush  through  the  vine-thicket  behind  the  altar. 
It  was  all  one  flash  of  action.  One  instant  a  spear- 
point  riveted  his  eye,  the  next  it  had  pierced  his 
heart. 

The  flash  of  the  weapon,  the  sharp  cries,  seemed  to 
release  John  from  the  deadly  stupor.  As  the  high 
priest  fell  he  struggled  to  rise,  and  then  his  con- 
sciousness deserted  him  again,  or  he  had  but  a  vague 
sense  of  being  the  centre  of  a  group  of  struggling 
men.  One  of  the  priests  hurled  a  knife  at  his  throat 
—  but  still  he  lived,  though  still  he  could  not  rise  — 
then  a  spear  glittered  across  his  eyes,  another  and 
another  leaped  past  like  swift  lightnings,  and  after 
that  there  was  a  rush  of  many  feet  —  a  confused  and 
wild  flight  and  pursuit ;  the  forest  echoed  with  terrible 
cries.  Was  it  a  dream  ?  Was  he  lying  in  the  old 
moonlit  chamber,  in  the  New  England  farmhouse, 
asleep  and  dreaming,  and  this  tropic  forest  of  sculpt- 
ured altars  and  hideous  idols,  this  fray  of  armed 
Indians,  but  a  fancy  born  in  his  sleep  of  his  evening's 
reading  of  the  old  wizard  book  ?  If  Joe  would  only 
speak  to  him  and  rouse  him  ! 

But  no,  it  was  not  a  dream  !  A  soft,  warm,  dusky 
arm  was  thrown  around  John's  neck ;  soft  kisses 
were  pressed  upon  his  face  ;  soft  Itza  murmurs  were 
in  his  ear  :  "  Do  not  lie  here,  brother  !  You  are  free. 
Come  with  me,  brother !  " 


John's  eyes  searched  wistfully  the  sweet,  familiar 
face.  He  raised  himself,  and  took  the  child  beside 
him.  A  shiver  ran  over  him  as  he  met  the  grinning 
gaze  of  a  huge  idol  in  the  moonlight  thicket.  "  My 
little  Xia,  how  came  you  here  ?  " 

But  here,  trooping  back,  came  other  familiar  faces : 
his  own  guardsmen  with  their  spears  and  shields ; 
Prince  Zan  too.  He  turned.  Tom  was  at  his  side, 
stretched  on  the  broad  stone  altar,  lying  in  a  pro- 
found sleep. 

It  was  the  work  of  a  half-hour  to  thoroughly  rouse 
him,  as  he  had  eaten  heartily  of  the  drugged  soup. 
Only  the  most  vigorous  pounding,  shaking,  dragging 
about  and  drenching  availed. 

Wet  and  cold,  Tom  was  thoroughly  cross  and  un- 
reasonable, and  it  was  some  lime  before  he  realized 
the  strange  peril  in  which  he  had  been  involved.  The 
two  pages  were  also  to  be  awakened,  and  it  was 
dawn  before  they  reached  the  temple  where  they  had 
camped. 

Then  our  New  Englanders  learned  the  secret  of 
their  rescue.  It  was  sweet  little  heroic  Xia  who 
told  the  story.  She  and  Zan  had  risen  like  young 
sovereigns,  and  summoned  the  bodyguard,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  exciting  their 
deepest  fears,  and  then 
they  set  forth  on  the  res- 
cue, and  had  given  them- 
selves no  rest,  except 
in  the  darkest  hours  of 
night.  They  had  reached 
the  forest  of  the  sacred 
ruins  not  an  hour  too 
SOOn.  Both  the  children  ALTAR  AMONG  THE  SACRED 

,  •    i      Ai  RUINS. 

gazed  on  them  with  the 

tenderest  love  in  their  looks.  John's  own  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  Their  feet  were  cut,  their  faces  torn  by 
thorns,  their  garments  in  tatters.  John  almost  wept 
aloud  when  he  saw  the  gashes  in  Xia's  tender  hands 
and  arms.  "  My  own  brother  could  not  have  done 
more,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  Henceforth  they  are  to 
me  as  my  own." 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


The  guardsmen  saw  and  listened  in  silence.  They 
were  young  men,  born  and  trained  to  fight ;  they 
rarely  spoke.  They  received  John's  praises  with 
silent  gratification.  The  slaying  of  the  priests  had 
been  to  them  but  as  an  incident  of  war. 

Feeling  all  danger  past,  John  and  Tom  gave  one 
day  to  the  hunt  of  the  Quetzal. 

This  bird,  aside  from  its  sacred  character  among 
the  Indians,  is  a  rare  and  beautiful  bird  ;  a  royal  creat- 
ure. It  is  known  to  naturalists  as  the  Resplendent 
Trogon  —  Trogon  resplendent.  In  South  America  its 
long  tail  feathers  were  worn  by  the  daughters  of  the 
caciques.  In  Mexico,  in  the  time  of  the  Aztec  king- 
dom, only  the  emperor  was  allowed  to  use  them. 
Their  plumage  is  most  glorious ;  like  emerald  frosted 
with  gold.  They  were  said  to  be  so  proud  of  their 
long  and  beautiful  tails  that  they  build  their  nests 
with  two  openings,  entering  at  one  side,  leaving  at 
the  other.  The  family  to  which  they  belong,  the 
trogonida,  is  found  only  in  the  Tropics.  We  of  the 
North  never  see  a  living  trogon  unless  we  go  South 
and  penetrate  the  tropic  forests.  It  cannot  endure 
confinement.  Like  the  humming  bird,  it  lives  on 
food  that  man  cannot  supply  to  it  in  captivity.  Six  of 
these  magnificent  birds  were  taken  back  to  the  city 
and  added  to  the  treasures  the  young  men  had  ac- 
cumulated for  the  museum  at  Washington. 

The  journey  back  was  slow.  Xia  and  her  brother 
were  carried  in  a  litter,  their  wounds  and  lameness 
had  become  so  serious.  The  Indians  would  have  con- 
structed a  litera  for  Tom  and  John,  and  have  borne 

them  on  their  shoulders, 
but  this  the  young  men 
would  not  allow.  The 
priests,  by  John's  orders, 
had  been  reverently  bur- 
ied at  the  foot  of  the 
great  altar  which  they 
had  sought  to  stain  once 
more  with  the  old  Aztec 
sacrifice. 

The  Itza  people  re- 
ceived without  much  con- 
cern the  news  from  the  mountains.  They  had  long 
turned  to  the  young  white  men  for  guidance,  for  new 
ideas,  and  for  just  decisions.  Besides,  there  were  still 
two  priests  to  conduct  the  temple  worship ;  men  of  mild 
bearing,  whom  Balam-helam  had  not  taken  into  his 
secret  plans ;  men  who  listened  with  interest  when- 
ever John  read  in  Itza  from  the  Bible  —  men  who  by 


A   TOSSED-UP    CAT. 


nature  loved  the  truth.  For  the  time,  universal  peace 
and  good-will  brooded  over  the  ancient  capital  of 
Itzamna. 

But  John,  realizing  his  great  influence  and  his 
great  opportunity,  hesitated  sometimes  in  his  work  of 
enlightenment.  He  knew  that  the  war-like  Mayas 
looked  upon  the  city  as  the  Mecca  of  the  nation. 
Here  were  conserved  their  own  ancient  gods ;  here 
were  the  great  temples  of  their  religion.  The  Itzaes, 
Christianized,  would  at  once  be  regarded  as  a  tribe 
of  enemies  —  worse,  traitors.  Dare  he  take  upon  his 
young  shoulders  the  responsibilities  of  such  great 
changes  ?  He  feared,  as  matters  stood  even  now,  that 
the  Mayas  would  march  against  the  city  as  soon  as 
they  heard  of  the  death  of  the  priests,  even  if  not 
incited  to  do  so  by  the  defiant  challenge  regarding  the 
captive  messenger.  He  congratulated  himself  that 
the  city  was  so  well  prepared  to  withstand  a  siege. 
Farther  into  the  future,  even  the  near  future,  John 
dared  not  look;  if  he  did,  a  life  far  different  from  any 
he  had  ever  planned  confronted  him  —  even  beckoned 
to  him  with  imperious  finger. 

One  day  messengers  arrived  from  the  Sublevados ; 
not  their  own  cousins,  but  two  Mayas.  However, 
they  bore  the  detained  letters  from  Cozumel.  They 
explained  that  the  Itza  cousins  were  too  fatigued  to 
attempt  the  return  trip  without  rest,  even  as  they,  too, 
must  tarry  for  refreshment  in  Itzamna,  a  few  days. 

At  ease  regarding  any  immediate  enmity  of  the 
Mayas,  our  young  cacique  and  his  friends  gave  them- 
selves up  to  the  joy  of  at  last  hearing  from  the  mate 
and  Don  Pedro.  Cozumel  seemed  to  them  the  outside 
world.  Nearly  six  months  had  elapsed  since  the  boys 
had  sailed  from  the  island.  For  half  a  year  they  had 
been  buried  in  this  wondrous  wilderness  without  any 
tidings  of  the  comrades  from  whom  they  had  been  so 
rudely  separated  at  Tuloom.  With  hearts  throbbing 
with  anxiety,  they  broke  the  seals  of  the  two  letters. 
Thus  ran  the  mate's  : 

COZUMEL,  Sometime  in  May. 
MY  HEARTIES  : 

There  ain't  words  that'll  tell  how  glad  Don  Pedro  and  me 
was  to  get  your  letters  by  the  last  mail.  But  it  wa'n't  no  new* 
to  me  that  you  and  Tom  had  found  the  Silver  City.  I  said  to 
Don  Pedro,  says  I,  after  we'd  got  clear  of  them  fiends  at 
Tuloom,  'somehow,  I  don't  have  no  fears  for  them  two  boys; 
they're  like  cats,  they  be ;  you  may  toss  'em  high  as  you're 
mind  to,  and  they'll  always  come  down  on  their  feet ! '  says  I. 
We  had  a  long  consultation  about  the  chances  of  your  being 
sacrificed  by  the  savages,  an'  we'd  felt  pretty  bad,  for  we 
knew  'twas  no  use  a-follerin'  on  into  a  forest  full  of  'em  except 
that  I  had  that  innard  faith  in  your  luck.  '  Depend  on  it/ 


88 


CACIQUE    JOHN. 


VASES   IN    THE   TEMPLE 
CAVES. 


says  I,  to  Don  Pedro,  says  I,  '  them  boys  is  all  right.  If  they 
ain't  jest  gone  and  took  the  through  train  for  that  Silver  City,' 
says  I,  '  it  ain't  Jack  North  that's  heading  the  percession,'  says 
I,  'so  the  best  we  can  do  is  to  wait  and  keep  a  spring  on  our 
cable,  so  that  we  can  light  out  after 
'em  at  a  minute's  warning,'  says  I. 
Now,  I'll  let  you  know  how  we've 
planned  to  reach  you. 

If  the  map  of  Yucatan  that  we've 
got  is  good  for  anything,  there  is  a 
deep  bay  exactly  opposite  that  In- 
dian capital,  Chan  Santa  Cruz, 
where  you  said  you  frightened  'em 
so  by  shooting  the  owl,  and  this  bay  is  called  Ascension,  and  lays 
just  about  a  hundred  miles  sou'-sou'west  of  Cozumel,  and  as  near 
as  we  can  cakelate,  about  the  same  distance  nor'-nor'east  of 
that  air  city  you  was  so  anxious  to  git  into,  and  now  we  guess 
you  are  just  as  anxious  to  get  out  of. 

Here  is  the  case  as  I  put  it  to  Don  Pedro :  Says  I,  '  if  the 
boys  can  contrive  to  git  over  their  hundred  miles  to  the  coast,' 
says  I,  '  ain't  it  fair  to  presume  that  we  can  make  a  run  of  a 
hundred  more,  and  meet'  em  half  way  ? '  says  I.  So  the  case 
stands  about  this  way :  There's  an  island  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bay,  called  Isla  de  los  pajaros,  or  the  Bird 
Island.  Now  we  intend  to  land  on  Bird 
Island  about  the  last  week  in  June.  The 
question  is,  Can  you  jine  us  there  ?  There 
ain't  but  two  things  against  it,  fust,  the 
chance  that  these  messengers  will  give  our 
scheme  away  to  the  cacique  of  the  Sub- 
levados.  Second,  there  is  your  gitting  out 
of  the  city,  as  you  say  no  strangers  are 
ever  allowed  to  git  out.  But  if  you  can't 
manage  this,  you  ain't  what  I  take  you 
for  1  So  I'll  leave  it  that  we  meet  the  last 
week  in  June.  Don  Pedro  and  me  will 
take  along  our  turkle  nets,  and  plenty  of 

ammunition,  and  will  cruise  about  the  bay  for  a  month  on  the 
lookout  for  you,  unless  the  savages  run  us  off.  And  speak- 
ing of  turkle  —  perhaps  we  ain't  got  the  pootiest  lot  of  turkle 
shell  man  ever  set  his  eyes  on.  Don  Pedro  and  me  ain't 
been  loafing  any,  I  tell  you.  Morning  and  night  we  worked, 
a-turkle  ketching  and  fishing  for  pearl  oysters.  You  two  boys 
ain't  going  to  want  for  nothing  as  long  as  we  live  1  I  s'pose 
you'll  come  out  of  the  wilderness  without  any  more  to  your 
name  than  a  picked  chicken,  but  we've  got  enough  for  the  whole 
of  us,  not  leaving  out  your  father.  And  that  didn't  supprise  me 
either,  your  finding  of  him  down  there.  Following  out  that 
clue  we  got  of  the  shark,  I  said  to  Don  Pedro,  says  I,  '  that 
boy'll  foller  it  out;  he  ain't  much  on  the  sea,'  says  I  — in  fact, 
he's  a  regular  Jonah  —  but  soon's  he's  set  foot  on  land,'  says  I, 
*  he's  in  his  native  element,'  says  I.  JASN  W.  WALKER. 

Formerly  mate  of  the  Dappled  Diver,  and  now  fust  lef- 
tenant  in  the  service  of  his  Majesty,  Don  Pedro  Pinto,  King  of 
the  Cozumel  Island.  j.  w.  W. 

Don  Pedro's  letter,  after  the  good  cheer  of  the 
mate's,  entertained  them  greatly : 


WEAPONS. 


ISLAND  OF  COZUMEL. 
Mr  LITTLE  HIJO  : 

What  has  you  so  long  keep  you  ?  Esta  cerca  ahora  6  meses 
we  no  have  not  hear  to  you.  Parece  los  salvajes  have  eat  you  — 
make  ze  soup  of  you.  So  you  have  find  la  Cindad  de  Plata, 
tan  grande,  tan  magnificat  How  much  you  like  ze  peepile? 
Los  Indies  de  Itzae  son  muy  buenos,  tienen  la  cortesia  de  sus  ante- 
pasados,  aunque  tienan  el  culto  de  Quetzalcoatl.  Ze  mait  el  Senor 
Walker,  esta  mi  buen  amigo;  tien  emucho  la  simpatia  de  la  cora- 
zon  —  his  hart,  eet  is  right.  Amigo  mio,  tenemos  muchos  de  la 
tortugas,  muchos  !  muchos  !  panusted y  para  el  Senor  Tom  Cuando 
nostros  volvermos  aqui  tendremos  mucho  de  la  plata,  para  usted 
para  su  padre,  y  pava  el  senor  Tom.  To  do  el  mundo  vill  have 
much  dinero  ayvery  body,  he  vill  have  ze  rico.  Siento  mucho 
que  ustedes,  have  ze  bad  loock.  Espere  uptel  nosotros  a  la  isla 
de  los  pajaros  en  mes:  ve  will  be  zare  vizout  ze  fail  in  el 'long  bote " 
A  Dios!  temo  borrar  lo  que  escribo  con  les  legrimas  que  se 
escapen  de  mis  ojos.  Abrago  a  vd  querido  amigo  y  le  suplico 
trasmita,  mis  afectos  a  su  afreciable  familia.  Se  repite  de  vd, 
etc.  Ze  mait  he  says  zis  ees  ze  first-class  Eangliesh. 

PEDRO  PINTO. 

"Well,"  said  the  young  cacique,  with  averted  eyes 
and  grave  face,  "  such  of  the  party  as  wish  to  go  North 
will  avail  themselves  of  this  offer  of  conveyance." 
He  spoke  in  a  light  tone,  but  his  voice  trembled,  for 
in  this  short  speech  he  purposed  to  announce  his 
determination  to  remain  in  the  Silver  City. 

His  father's  face  was  full  of  grieved  surprise. 
Tom  bounded  from  his  seat,  and  faced  John  like  an 
astonished  exclamation  point.  But  argument  and 
entreaty  failed  to  move  him.  It  was  no  sudden 
determination,  after  all,  he  said,  but  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. "  It  would,"  he  said,  "  be  a  heartless  and 
unmanly  act  to  abandon  his  people,  and  leave 
them  without  a  ruler,  at  least  during  the  period  of 
Prince  Zan's  minority."  He  had  accepted  from  the 
dying  cacique  the  guardianship  of  his  two  children ; 
he  had  assumed  the  caciqueship  'as  a  sacred  trust 
until  the  rightful  ruler  was  of  age.  Before  the  Itza 
people,  and  in  the  sight  of  God,  he  was  under  obli- 
gations to  remain.  "  I  have  no  more  right,"  he  said, 
"  to  break  my  faith  with  an  Indian  than  with  a  white 
man.  Meanwhile,"  he 
went  on,  "  I  shall  devote 
my  leisure  to  deciphering 
the  hieroglyphics  on  the 
temple  walls,  and  in  the 
bark  books  of  the  Memes. 
If  I  succeed,  a  thousand 
years  of  history  will  be 
added  to  the  triumphs  of  civilization  in  America." 

His  father  brought  up  considerations  of  home  and 


VASE    AND    CLAY    FIGURES. 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


89 


country,  of  mother  and  brother,  but  it  was  plain  to 
see  that  John  had  settled  all  these  questions  with 
himself  long  before.  "  I  send  them  you  instead, 
dear  father,  for  the  present,"  he  said ;  "  mother  will 
be  thankful  that  I  dreamed  my  '  romantic  dream,'  as 
she  used  to  call  it,  since  it  was  the  means  of  your 
rescue  and  return,  father.  Surely  I  can  spare  half 
a  dozen  years  of  my  young  manhood  for  these  im- 
portant duties  of  others." 

There  was  no  need  now  of  secret  p'ans,  and  of 
calculations  upon  the   Indian   consternation  in  the 


THE   LAST   VIEW    OF   THE   SILVER    CITY. 

presence  of  an  eclipse.  Even  the  traditional  custom, 
to  let  no  stranger  depart  who  once  had  entered  the 
Silver  City,  would  give  way  before  the  command  of 
the  wise  young  cacique^  especially  were  it  seconded 
by  the  wishes  of  the  royal  children.  Therefore  it  was 
soon  understood,  though  much  to  the  general  grief, 
that  sometime  in  June  the  war  chief  Tom,  and  the 
cacique's  father,  were  to'  depart  for  the  land  of  the 
Snow  King.  The  white  cacique  was  to  remain. 

The  preparations  made  for  departure  were  very 
simple.  There  was  little  to  take  away  except  the  art 
treasures  discovered  in  the  temple  caverns.  These 


were  packed  in  bags  of  native  hemp.  There  were 
thirty-three  each ;  a  good  backload  for  an  Indian. 
These  Indians,  with  an  armed  escort,  were  to  go  in 
night-journeys,  with  Tom  and  Captain  North,  to  As- 
cension Bay,  to  meet  the  mate  and  Don  Pedro. 
This  measure  was  also  publicly  explained.  The 
Itzaes  fully  understood  that  their  sacred  treasures 
were  to  be  disposed  of  to  the  museums  of  Europe  and 
America,  and  that  the  proceeds  were  to  be  divided  af- 
terwards—  one  half  of  the  whole  amount  to  be  set 
aside  for  the  royal  children  and  their  descendants,  the 
remainder  to  be  equally  divided  among  Tom  and  Cap- 
tain North  as  John's  representative. 

The  large  amount  of  Spanish  gold  supposed  to  ex- 
ist in  the  well  was  to  remain  there,  since  it  could  be 
used  in  time  of  need  in  the  peninsula,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  tribe. 

It  was  now  but  two  nights  before  the  departure  of 
the  party  for  Ascension  Bay.  The  city  had  retired 
to  rest,  but  there  might  have  been  seen  a  strange 
sight  for  Itzamutul  after  dark.  The  eastern  gate  was 
ajar,  and,  the  heavy  blocks  of  marble  slowly  unclos- 
ing, a  black  body  of  armed  men  came  pushing  softly 
through,  and  met  by  the  Mayas  who  had  brought  the 
Cozumel  letters  moved  silently  up  between  the  mighty 
statues  of  the  royal  avenues. 

The  sentinels  at  the  eastern  gate  had  easily  been 
overpowered  by  the  couriers  —  spies  of  the  Mayas' 
chief — and  the  Mayas  were  admitted  without  noise. 

"  Two  nights  later  —  and  too  late  !  "  said  the 
couriers  eagerly.  "  The  Lords  of  the  Air  depart  on 
the  day  but  one,  save  the  great  magician,  he  of  the 
Thunder  Weapon."  Silently  they  proceeded  toward 
the  palace.  The  picked  men  entered  the  silver  door 
stealthily.  When  they  emerged  the  three  white  men, 
gagged  and  bound,  were  led  in  their  midst. 

They  were  taken  before  the  Mayas'  chief. 

"  The  ones  !  "  he  growled,  looking  upon  them  with 
a  countenance  of  wrath.  He  turned  to  the  men  who 
had  dragged  them  from  their  hammocks.  "  Bring  their 
sandals  and  their  raiment,  not  their  weapons  !  We 
march  at  once  to  the  hills." 

He  frowned  upon  the  pantomime  of  John's  entreaty. 
No  farewells  were  to  be  taken  of  the  Prince  and 
Princess. 

"TheTtzaes  know  not  of  my  coming,"  said  he. 
"They  will  believe  ye  have  been  transported  to  that 
region  in  the  air  whence  ye  came  to  our  country. 
It  is  well." 

Silently  as  they  had  entered,  the  Mayas'  host  had 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


departed  through  the  marble  gates  and  over  the 
drawbridge.  The  sentinels,  bound  and  blindfolded, 
knew  not  who  had  opened  the  gates,  nor  knew  they 
who  closed  them.  The  three  prisoners,  blindfolded, 
were  placed  in  literas,  and  on  the  shoulders  of  their 
captors  were  hurried  over  the  beautiful  valley  to  the 
hills.  As  they  reached  the  great  forest  the  chief 
halted  his  band  and  bade  them  remove  the  bandages. 

"  Look, "  he  said,  "  your  last  upon  the  city  ye 
would  have  thrown  into  rebellion  !  Never  more  shall 
ye  behold  its  silver  walls  !  It  is  again  buried,  and 
forever,  from  the  eyes  of  the  white  man." 

A  bitter  cry  burst  from  John's  lips.  He  thought  of 
the  tender  lives  in  that  city  of  peace  left  perhaps 
to  be  the  prey  of  their  fiercer  brothers,  the  Mayas. 
John  turned  an  imploring  look  upon  the  cacique. 
He  divined  its  meaning.  His  stern  lips  wreathed 
with  a  haughty  smile.  "  Waste  no  pity,"  he  sneered. 
"  We  have  performed  our  task.  We  have  saved  our 
gods,  our  treasures,  our  holy  worship,  from  your 
grasp.  We  again  hide  our  beautiful  city  from  the 
sight  of  the  world.  And  as  Itza  and  Maya  lived  in 
peace  before  you  came,  so  will  we  continue.  Ye  it  is 
who  would  have  brought  enmity  between  us ! " 

Bathed  in  the  light  of  the  moon,  the  white  walls 
glistened  with  a  pure  and  silvery  radiance  as  the 
host  entered  the  wood,  and  John  had  seen  the  last  of 
the  Silver  City. 

And  now  the  Mayas'  chief  came  to  John's  side. 
Once  more  he  halted  his  host.  "Think  not  I  will 
spare  thee,  young  wizard,  now  that  I  have  thee  with- 
out thy  magic  weapons,"  said  he.  "  If  I  do  not  sac- 
rifice ye  to  our  outraged  god,  whose  high  priest  ye 
have  slain,  before  the  sun  rises  in  the  east,  may  I 
loose  my  own  head!  One  hour — no  longer  —  ye 
may  live.  Now  what  have  ye  to  say?" 

It  seemed  to  devolve  upon  John,  the  young  wizard, 
to  answer. 

John  felt  his  father's  eyes  and  Tom's  upon  his 
face.  He  felt  that  upon  his  wisdom  their  lives  too 
depended.  He  threw  his  robe  about  him  with  a 
.haughty  indifference. 

"  Chief  of  the  Mayas,  dost  forget  you  address  a 
chieftain  of  the  God  of  the  Air  ?  My  weapons  are  not 
visible  to  eyes  like  thine.  Will  you  have  a  sign  from 
my  all-powerful  master  of  what  may  befall  if  you  harm 
us  ?  Behold,  then,  I  warn  you,  that  unless  you  grant 
me  free  passages  to  the  sea,  I  will  call  for  a  sign  of 
near  vengeance  to  appear  in  the  heavens.  See  ye 
yonder  moon,  sailing  joyously  up  the  eastern  sky  ? 


To-morrow  night  at  this  very  hour  she  shall  suddenly 
frown  upon  you  and  depart  for  a  season  into  the 
council  chamber  of  the  wrath  of  darkness." 

He  spoke  in  Itza,  and  all  the  host  heard  and 
understood.  The  sentiment  of  awe  and  dread  during 
the  time  of  an  eclipse  is  universal  among  the  savages 
of  the  globe.  Their  panic  was  visible.  Evidently 
they  doubted  not  the  power  of  the  young  wizard  to  per- 
form what  he  had  boasted.  The  chief  himself  was 
deeply  disturoed.  He  drew  back  from  his  captives, 
but  John  quietly  followed  him  with  his  calm  gaze. 
He  spoke  at  last : 

"  If  it  befall  as  thou  boastest,  thou  and  thy  friends 
shall  depart,  and  we  will  escort  thee  to  the  sea.  But 
if  it  come  not  to  pass  to-morrow  night  at  this  hour, 
we  will  wipe  thee  /d  thy  mischief  forever  from  our 
land  and  our  thoughts." 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  coming  event  was 
awaited  by  the  little  band  of  captives  without 
anxiety.  What  if  there  were  an  error  of  calculation 
in  their  almanac  which  predicted  the  eclipse  ? 

They  marched  all  that  day,  and  at  night  encamped 
full  forty  miles  from  the  starting  point.  The  hour 
of  the  eclipse  approached.  The  prisoners  were  not 
allowed  to  converse,  but  each  could  see  that  his  com- 
rades were  anxious,  —  depressed. 

For  an  hour  the  attention  of  the  Mayas  had  been 
directed  toward  the  east,  and  when  the  moon  rose 
proudly  to  view  undimmed  by  a  cloud,  they  sent  up 
a  deafening  shout  of  exultation.  They  would  have 
seized  the  false  prophet  there  and  then,  but  he  waved 
them  back.  "  Wait !  two  more  hours  yet  remain  !  " 

They  fell  back.  They  waited  in  suspense  not 
greater  than  that  which  settled  around  the  throbbing 
hearts  of  their  prisoners. 

Two  hours  passed.  And  then,  lo !  with  almost 
miraculous  steadiness  of  movement  even  to  John,  a 
black  shadow  began  to  creep  over  the  surface  of  the 
moon.  It  settled  there  ;  only  a  narrow  rim  appeared, 
surrounding  the  great  black  disk. 

The  Mayas,  with  low  cries,  fell  on  their  faces.  The 
chief  grovelled  forward  to  John's  feet.  He  implored 
the  pardon  of  the  captives.  "  And  remove,  oh,  great 
magician,  that  serpent  that  is  devouring  the  fair  and 
beautiful  moon!  We  are  thy  slaves,  command  us! 
Believe  us,  we  ourselves  will  conduct  ye  to  the  coast." 

It  was  surely  a  legitimate  triumph  of  science  over 
ignorance.  The  young  New  Englander  bowed  his 
head  to  the  All-xvise  who  had  given  him  his  opportu- 
nities of  knowledge. 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


"  Rise,"  he  exclaimed  ;  "  the  serpent  departs.  Only 
see,  now,  that  ye  fulfil  your  promises." 

The  warriors  gazed  upward  with  awe.  The  sky 
was  clear.  Emerging,  the  glorious  luminary  moved 
on  her  heavenly  course  as  serenely  as  before. 

A  glad  shout  arose.  Reverently,  one  by  one,  the 
throng  kissed  the  feet  of  their  mighty  captives.  They 
were  eager  to  move  coastward,  eager  for  the  depart- 
ure forever  from  these  mysterious  beings. 

Two  nights  and  days  they  journeyed.  They  were 
loaded  with  favors,  and  treated  with  homage.  They 


in  Itza.  "  The  moon  shall  light  you  night  by  night 
till  the  sun  come." 

They  lay  in  their  literas  and  awaited  the  dawn. 
They  knew  the  cautious  mate  would  never  approach 
the  shore  by  moonlight. 

The  first  streak  of  daylight  saw  Tom  running  up 
and  down  the  sands.  "  Ahoy  !  Ship  ahoy !  "  he  was 
shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice. 

"Ahoy  yourself!  Ahoy!"  came  back  in  trumpet 
tones. 

In  another  moment  a  canoe  put  out  from  the  long- 


THE   TRIUMPH   OF    SCIENCE. 


had  no  fears  of  treachery,  unarmed  though  they  were. 
The  third  night,  an  hour  after  sunset,  a  cool  breeze 
touched  their  cheeks  —  a  breeze  from  the  sea!  At 
midnight  the  band  filed  out  of  the  forest  upon  the 
sand  beach  at  the  head  of  Ascension  Bay.  Here  the 
Mayas  left  them.  As  the  host  turned  again  into  the 
forest,  the  chief  pointed  eastward.  In  the  pathway 
of  the  moon  lay  a  black  object.  It  was  Don  Pedro's 
long-boat.  In  the  gladness  of  feeling  himself  re- 
united with  the  great  world,  John  waved  the  Mayas' 
chief  a  cordial  adieu.  "A  safe  journey!"  he  cried 


boat,  and  ten  minutes  later  Mate  Walker  stood  on  the 
beach. 

But  no  pen  can  report  that  meeting.  Even  John's 
two  fathers.  Captain  North  and  Don  Pedro,  met  like 
old  friends,  and  the  Spaniard's  joy  over  his  "son" 
was  touching. 

They  at  once  hurried  aboard  the  boat,  for,  as  the 
mate  remarked,  "The  Indians  might  change  their 
minds  come  daylight." 

Two  days  were  consumed  on  the  run  along  coast 
to  Cozumel,  but  they  were  two  days  of  sunny  hilarity 


92 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


and  wonderful  yarns.  As  Tom  said,  "  The  Arabian 
Nights  were  nowhar'  alongside  of  life  in  the  Silver 
City." 

John  alone  was  grave.  He  thought  constantly  of 
the  children  of  the  cacique,  whom  he  had  loved  so 
dearly;  of  the  peaceful  kingdom  that  had  been  wrested 
from  his  rule  ;  of  the  tempting  historical  labors  in  the 
temple. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  the  mate.  "  You've  got  all 
your  life  before  you  yit,  and  you  may  yit  translate 
them  works  of  the  wise  men  yit." 

"We'll  go  back  any  time  he  says  so,"  said  Tom 
eagerly.  "Just  let  me  breathe  a  whisper  of  them 
gold  and  silver  treasures  in  the  well,  and  them  glit- 
tering dishes  we  packed  up  only  to  leave  behind  us, 
and  I  could  raise  an  army  of  men  up  home  that 
would  sweep  the  whole  country  of  Yucatan  like  a 
new  broom,  an'  not  leave  a  dish  or  a  doubloon,  or  a 
bird  or  a  beast ;  for  its  borne  in  on  me  that  our  young 
king  of  Itzamna  here,  is  a-mourning  for  his  gor- 
geous birds  about  as  much  as  anything  —  had  mor'n 
two  hundred  kinds  of  'em,  he  had  !  " 

"  The  young  king  of  Itzamna  "  smiled  but  faintly. 
He  was  thinking  of  the  heartsick  surprise  of  the  two 
royal  children  when  they  woke  to  find  him  gone  — 
gone  without  a  word,  without  a  sign  of  either  expla- 
nation or  farewell,  without  a  hint  of  return.  It  was 
intolerable.  "  It  cannot,  it  shall  not  be  forever !  "  he 
said  to  himself  again  and  again. 

There  was  something  in  the  manner  of  the  mate 
and  Don  Pedro  that  seemed  to  imply  that  they  had 
a  great  surprise  in  store. 

But  the  mystery  remained  unsolved  until  they 
reached  the  shore  of  Cozumel  and  turned  into  the 
channel  that  led  to  the  lake,  where  John  had  been 
discovered  by  Don  Pedro  after  the  wreck. 

It  was  about  sunset,  and  the  golden  rays  lingered 
upon  the  tree-tops ;  as  they  struck  sail  and  rowed  up 
towards  the  cabin,  they  lighted  up,  also,  something 
besides  —  a  familiar  object.  The  boys  were  thrilled 
with  an  intense  excitement,  for  there  lay  quietly  at 
her  moorings,  with  masts  set  and  rigging  taut,  the 
beautiful  shape  of  the  Dappled  Diver  ! 

11  Thought  ye'd  be  supprised,"  chuckled  the  mate, 
while  Don  Pedro  looked  on  with  smiling  eyes,  and 
stroked  his  long  gray  beard. 

"  Oh,  the  Don  and  me  ain't  been  doin'  nothin'  all 
the  time  you  was  lost,"  said  the  mate.  "  There  came 
a  westerly  wind  one  day,  and  I  says  to  Don  Pedro, 
says  I,  '  If  this  wind  blows  pooty  stiddy  from  that 


quarter  long,'  says  I,  '  it  may  start  the  Diver  off  the 
reef.'  And  so  we  took  the  long-boat  and  went  round 
to  her,  and  lo  and  behold,  she  had  slid  into  deep 
water,  an'  would  a-drifted  off,  if  it  hadn't  a-been  for 
them  anchors  we'd  put  out  when  we  left  her.  Well, 
we  jest  went  to  work  an'  rigged  a  jury-mast,  an'  in  a 
week  we  had  worked  her  around  into  the  lake  where 
you  see  her  now.  Ain't  she  a  beauty !  " 

"  But  where'd  you  get  masts  and  riggin'  ? "  asked 
Tom. 

"  Oh,  Don  Pedro  had  plenty  layin'  raound,  loose 
spars  and  timbers,  an'  a  whole  haouse  full  of  ropes 


THE    "  DAPPLED    DIVER." 

and  blocks.  It  was  a  job  to  git  'em  up,  but  we  had 
time  enough,  and  we  done  it  at  last.  She  ain't  no 
longer  a  skewner,  as  yeu  see,  but  more  of  a  brigan- 
tine.  We  couldn't  git  big  enough  masts  intew  her. 
Jest  step  aboard  and  look  at  her." 

"  Neat  as  a  man-of-war,"  was  the  verdict  of  the 
whole  party. 

"  And  ready  tew  sail  ter-morrer ! "  added  the 
mate.  "  Everything's  aboard,  even  tew  the  gold 
which  we  buried  in  the  tomb.  Here's  your  cabin, 
John,  an'  you'll  find  what  valooables  you  left  in  that 


CACIQUE   JOHN. 


93 


chist.  You  ain't  seen  it  all,  neither.  Here's  the 
afterhold  full  of  turkle-shell,  an'  any  quantity  of 
turkle  ile  under  the  main  hatch.  The  old  Diver's 
tight  as  a  cup  ;  her  cargo  of  shooks  and  staves  ain't 
hurt  a  mite.  Now  do  any  of  yew  draw  any  infer- 
ence from  this  ? " 

"That  you'll  sail  back  to  Cuba,  and  finish  the 
voyage,"  said  John. 

"  Tew  be  sure  !  "  added  the  mate.  "  And  there 
we'll  load  with  sugar,  m'lasses,  and  then  up  sail  for 
Selim ;  Don  Pedro,  he's  goin'  with  us.  He  is,  that's. 
a  fact ;  but  he's  made  me  promise  tew  come  back 
an'  spend  another  season  a-turklin'  with  him.  We'll 
spend  a  month  or  so  at  home,  an'  then  come  back 
here  some  time  in  November.  P'raps  we'll  all  come 
back,  seein'  's  how  much  there  is  left  behind  tew 
square  up.  P'raps  you'll  have  another  whack  at  that 
treasure  in  the  city  yet,  an'  see  your  leetle  friends 
ag'in  ;  eh,  John  ?  " 

John's  face  lit  up  with  something  of  its  old  fire. 

"  Mate,  do  you  really  think  you'll  come  back  here 
in  November  ?  " 

"I  don't  think,  I  know  it,"  answered  he  confi- 
dently. 

"  Do  you  really  need  me  in  sailing  the  vessel  to 
Cuba  ?  and  can't  you  ship  some  hands  to  help  you 
on  the  voyage  home  ?  " 

"Of  course  we  can;  it  ain't  but  four  or  five  days' 
sail  to  Cuby." 

"Then,  with  Don  Pedro's  permission,  I  am  going 
to  stay  on  this  island  till  you  return  !  You  can  pro- 
vision me,  and  leave  me  a  rifle  and  ammunition,  and 
a  boat.  You  know  I  want  to  study  natural  history 
here,  for  one  thing." 


Contrary  to  his  expectations  no  strong  opposition 
was  offered  by  his  companions  to  this  romantic  prop- 
osition. 

"  Jest  as  I  expected,"  said  the  mate.  "  I  told  Don 
Pedro,  says  I,  '  that  boy  ain't  goin'  tew  be  contented 
to  go  home,'  says  I ;  '  here  he's  lost  his  birds  and 
things,  and  what's  he  got  tew  show  for  the  money  the 
perfesser  lent  him  ?  Nothin','  says  I ;  '  actooally 
nothinV  Don  Pedro,  he  says,  says  he,  '  I'll  give 
him  money  to  pay  back  the  perfesser,'  says  he,  and 
he'd  a-done  it,  tew.  But  I  says,  says  I,  'you  don't 
know  John  North,'  says  I ;  '  he  works  from  a  sense 
of  duty,  he  does.  He's  sot  his  heart  on  gettin'  a  col- 
lection of  birds,  he  has,  and  not  all  the  powers  that  be 
is  going  to  turn  him  away  from  it,'  says  I." 

"No,"  said  John,  "they  couldn't.  I've  set  my 
heart  on  a  specimen  of  every  bird  in  Yucatan  to 
take  to  Washington."  But  he  said  nothing  of  an- 
other plan  on  which  his  heart  was  still  more  strongly 
set :  by  some  means  to  open  communication  with 
Christobal,  the  kind  and  powerful  war-chief  of  the 
Mayas ;  that  done,  he  believed  he  could  once  more 
find  the  path  to  his  precious  people  in  the  Silver 
City. 

With  this  hope  beating  high  in  his  heart,  while  his 
comrades  sailed  away  in  the  Dappled  Diver,  a  week 
later,  he  watched  them  from  the  headland  till  out 
of  sight,  with  a  strange  loneliness,  perhaps,  but  not  a 
pang  of  regret.  And  when  they  had  rounded  the 
southern  point  and  stood  off  into  the  eastern  chan- 
nel, opposite  the  reef  where  the  Diver  had  run 
ashore,  they  saw  with  their  glasses  his  lone  figure 
still  walking  the  sands  near  the  wrecking  cabin. 


THE   LONE   FIGURE   ON    THE    SANDS. 


! 

'  I     V 

! 


MONTEZUMA'S  GOLD  MINES 


CHRISTMAS  MORNING  WITH  THE  NEW  DOLLS  :    "  You  heathen  toy,  I  s'fose  you  never  heard  about  Christmas,  and  the  Star, 
and  the  Child  in  the  Manger,  and  I  will  need  to  have  Sunday  School  for  you  and  the  Mikado  Baby  every  day  all  winter  !  " 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

(Author  of  "The  Silver  City") 


CHAPTER  I. 

FAREWELL,    COZUMEL. 

T3  ENEATH  the  golden  roof-tree  of  a  palm,  on 
JD  the  sandy  shore  of  Laguna  Santa  Cruz,  lay 
stretched  the  figure  of  a  youth  within  sound  of  the 
surf-beat  of  the  blue  and  sparkling  waters  of  the 
Caribbean  Sea. 

It  is  a  land-locked  lakelet  —  Laguna  Santa  Cruz 
—  on  the  coast  of  Cozumel,  an  island  lying  east 
of  the  mysterious  peninsula  of  Yucatan.  Deep 
and  sombre  are  the  woods  of  Cozumel,  containing 
within  their  secret  depths  the  ruins  of  most  ancient 
buildings,  pyramids,  and  perhaps  palaces  —  sole 
mementos  of  a  people  passed  away.  Spicy  and 
fragrant  are  the  gales  that  sweep  over  these  for- 
ests and  drift  languidly  across  to  the  main  land, 
laden  with  the  sweets  of  a  thousand  blossoms, 
with  the  perfume  of  palms,  and  the  honey-scent  of 
frangipanni.  For  centuries  have  these  honeyed 
breezes  blown  the  odors  of  Cozumel  over  to  the 
silent  main,  giving  to  this  fair  isle  its  name,  "Coz- 
umel, Island  of  Honey-bees." 


The  solitary  palm  that  sheltered  the  motionless 
form  from  the  sun  waved  its  leaves  in  the  afternoon 
breeze,  sending  a  flickering  play  of  shadow  over 
the  yellow  sand  beneath,  and  letting  in,  now  and 
again,  an  ardent  beam  ;  but  even  the  piercing 
shaft  of  Helios  failed  to  move  this  sleeper  on  the 
shore.  The  cocoa-nuts  above  clashed  noisily  to- 
gether, the  dry  flower-spathes  rustled  against  the 
trunk,  and  the  long  branches  of  the  palm  swayed 
this  way  and  that  with  the  coming  breath  of  even- 
ing; still  no  movement  beneath.  Even  when  a 
boat-keel  grated  upon  the  sand  and  there  leaped 
out  three  half-naked  men  who  advanced  stealthily 
upon  the  slumberer,  he  stirred  not.  It  seemed  then 
that  a  quivering  shock  passed  through  trunk  and 
branches  of  the  palm,  and  that  she  essayed  to  lift 
her  leaves  and  beat  her  stem  ;  but  the  wind  had 
wholly  died  away,  and  the  sun  was  fast  nearing 
the  horizon  ;  a  great  red  disk  in  the  amber  sky. 
Well  might  the  pitiful  palm  have  shuddered  with 
apprehension,  noting  what  proceeded  at  her  very 
feet;  that  the  unresisting  boy  was  bound  witb 
twisted  cords  of  bark  and  borne  to  the  boat ;  that 
the  hut  in  which  he  had  dwelt  —  standing  in  sight 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


at  the  edge  of  the  forest  —  was  swiftly  searched, 
ransacked  and  then  set  on  fire.  As  the  flames 
crackled  fiercely  amongst  the  dry  leaves  that 
thatched  the  hut  —  plumes  that  had  once  greenly 
adorned  her  own  coronet  —  Palma  saw  these  wild- 
looking  strangers  load  the  boat  with  their  plunder 
and  push  off  into  the  lake. 

The  glowing  disk  in  the  West  extinguished  its 
fires  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  paler  grew  the  sky, 
swiftly  drawing  over  its  face  the  curtain  of  night, 
spangled  with  stars  ;  and  then  the  palm-tree  was 
left  alone,  brooding  above  its  silent  lake,  and 
watching  the  smoke  of  the  burning  hut  as  it  rose 
upward  and  drifted  over  the  forest. 

Afloat  on  the  heaving  Caribbean  Sea,  the  boat 
guided  by  a  fierce-gesturing  helmsman,  took  its 
course  northwardly,  after  turning  out  of  the  inlet 
that, connected  with  the  lake,  finally  reaching  a 
small  vessel  that  lay  in  mid-channel.  The  sail 
was  hoisted  and  the  craft  bore  away  to  the  north. 

Not  till  then  —  not  till  their  canoe  had  been 
fastened  securely  astern,  and  its  contents  distrib- 
uted aboard  the  larger  boat ;  the  unresisting 
prisoner  stretched  out  under  the  lee-rail,  sheltered 
by  a  sail ;  and  a  steaming  supper  brought  by  the 
cook  from  the  caboose  —  did  the  sailor  speak. 

"  He  sleeps  well ! "  said  the  oldest  of  the  trio, 
indicating  by  a  nod  the  prisoner  under  the  lee- 
rail.  He  was  a  sturdy  weather-beaten  sailor  —  the 
speaker  —  with  coarse  features,  curling  black  hair, 
a  grizzly  beard,  and  eyes  black  as  night,  having  in 
their  keen  twinkle  a  suggestion  of  evil  deeds  in 
their  owner's  past. 

"  But  well  then,  Antonio,"  spoke  out  the  next 
younger,  who  much  resembled  the  old  man  in 
garb  and  feature,  "what  less  could  he  do  than 
sleep !  did  not  Juanito  whisper  in  his  ear  the  sleep- 
song  of  the  Mayas  ?  Will  he  ever  wake  ? " 

Juanito  was  the  youngest  of  the  crew,  a  slender, 
graceful  lad,  clad  in  ragged  shirt  and  trousers 
through  various  rents  in  which  elbows  and  knees 
protruded.  His  skin  was  a  beautiful  golden-bronze 
in  color,  his  cheeks  flushed  with  the  red  of  the 
mango ;  his  eyes  were  of  soft  lustrous  black. 
Grace  of  motion,  fineness  and  nobility  of  feature 
distinguished  him  from  his  companions,  as  though 
he  might  have  perhaps  in  him  the  spirit  of  the  con- 
quistadores — the  conquerors— of  his  native  Mexico. 

"  He  will  wake  at  dawn,"  the  lad  answered 
•carelessly ;  "  that  is  sure  enough.  But  do  not  you 


dare  loosen  the  cords  till  I  have  had  a  word  with 
him,  lest  he  do  harm  to  some  of  us." 

The  conversation  was  in  rough  Spanish.  The 
three  fishermen  were  Mexicans.  They  had  come 
up  from  the  eastern  coast  of  Yucatan,  whither  they 
had  gone  to  fish  for  turtle,  and  were  now  on  their 
way  back  to  the  Laguna  de  Terminos,  many  days' 
distant  on  the  other  shore  of  the  peninsula. 

"  But  how  did  you  put  el  senor  estrangero  into 
slumber  so  lasting  ?  "  asked  Manuel,  regarding  the 
lad  with  admiration. 

"  Como?  —  How  ?  Trust  Juanito  when  there  is 
work  that  needs  wits.  It  was  this  morning,  early  ; 
el  solitario  was  astir  with  the  dawn  ;  I  watched  him 
from  the  forest ;  he  came  out  from  his  jacal  and 
built  a  fire  in  front  of  it,  placing  over  it  the  kettle 
in  which  he  makes  his  chocolate.  Then  he  went 
down  to  the  shore,  to  his  canoa,  and  before  he 
came  back  I  had  been  at  the  fire ;  I  had  lifted 
the  cover  of  the  chocolate,  I  had  dropped  into  it 
the  sweet  gum." 

"Thou  didst  well,"  said  the  grim  and  grizzly 
Antonio.  "  Without  thee  and  thy  sleep-song  el 
estrangero  might  have  been  even  now  hunting  the 
forest  for  the  night-birds  of  Cozumel,  and  it  would 
have  fared  hard  with  us  had  we  attempted  to  cap- 
ture him  when  his  eyes  were  open  !  His  enemies 
fear  him  and  admire  him : —  the  young  Gringo  !  " 

"But  why,"  asked  Manuel,  "have  we  taken  him?" 

"  Are  not  five  hundred  pesos  de  oro  a  good  rea- 
son ? "  laughed  Antonio.  "  Si,  amigos,  five  hun- 
dred dollars  for  Antonio  as  master  of  the  vessel, 
and  one  hundred  for  Juanito,  and  one  hundred  for 
Manuelito  ! " 

"Ah!"  said  Manuel  thoughtfully.  "But  yet, 
wherefore  ?  Why  did  we  steal  upon  this  stranger, 
abduct  him  from  an  island  all  uninhabited  save  by 
himself,  destroy  his  property,  and  burn  his  dwell- 
ing down  ?  Who  pays  the  pesos  de  oro  ?  " 

"  Softly,  amigo  mio;  the  end  is  not  yet.  We  do 
this  youth  no  harm  ;  he  will  be  set  free  again  — 
perhaps.  And  now,  who  pays  ?  and  why  does  he 
pay  ?  Didst  ever  hear  of  Christobal  ?  " 

"Who  has  not  heard  of  the  dread  chief  of  the 
Sublevados !  "  cried  Manuel.  "  Did  he  not  descend 
upon  my  own  fishing-camp,  two  seasons  ago,  de- 
spoil it,  and  murder  two  of  my  companions  ? " 

"  Thou  hast  seen  him  then  ? " 

"  No  good  Mexican  ever  saw  Christobal  and  es- 
caped to  tell  of  it." 


M  O  NTE  Z  UMA  'S     GOLD    MINE  S. 


"  So  ?  Still  them  hast  seen  him.  Dost  remem- 
ber the  night  we  were  anchored  in  Espiritu  Bay, 
under  the  lee  of  the  mangrove  islet  ?  " 

"  I  remember,"  broke  in  Juanito  ;  "  I  rowed  you 
ashore,  and  you  talked  two  hours  with  a  tall  and 
•stately  Indian  while  Manuelito  watched,  rifle  in 
hand,  ready  to  fire  at  el  barbaro,  should  he  attempt 
to  harm  us." 

"  True ;  and  yet  Manuelito  has  not  seen  Chris- 
tobal ! " 

"  Was  that  Christobal  ?     Dios  mio  !  " 


secret  of  their  origin,  and  even  going  down  into 
the  country  of  los  barbaros,  whence  they  returned 
uninjured  —  though  Dios  knows  they  may  not  have 
deserved  at  all  a  safe  exit !  But  they  returned  to 
Cozumel,  and  his  companeros  sailed  away  North 
without  him,  leaving  him  there  alone. 

"  Now,  answer  for  yourselves  like  true  Mexicans : 
Did  those  companeros  intend  that  el  solitario  should 
remain  here  alone  forever  ?  Did  they  not  certainly 
intend,  instead,  to  return  leading  armies  prepared 
to  invade  the  country,  carry  the  Sublevados  into 


THE   SLEEP-SONG   OF    THE   MAYAS. 


"  None  other  —  most  famous  of  the  Sublevados, 
our  most  revengeful  enemy.  Now  listen,  and  I 
•will  tell  what  he  had  to  say  to  me  —  to  me,  Antonio 
Caravel,  humble  fisher  of  turtle  on  the  shore  of 
Yucatan." 

Antonio  paused,  for  he  had  been  eating  all  this 
time  ;  took  a  long  draught  from  a  water-gourd,  and 
then  began  a  singular  narration  : 

"  You  must  know  that  this  young  American  came 
here  to  our  country  uninvited ;  that  he  and  his 
companions  roamed  through  the  sacred  forests  for 
months,  shooting  the  wild  birds  and  beasts,  peer- 
ing into  the  ruined  temples  as  if  to  pry  out  the 


slavery,  and  plunder  the  sacred  cities  beyond  ?  Of 
this  Christobal  feels  certain.  Though  he  be  a  sav- 
age Christobal  has  the  wisdom  of  chieftains.  This 
was  the  subject  of  our  converse  on  the  Espiritu 
sands.  Sure  it  is  that  Christobal  feared  an  invasion 
of  Americanos,  and  engaged  me  to  remove  the  guide 
—  this  white  bird-hunter  —  kill  him  he  dare  not, 
mind  you  all !  No  army  without  a  guide  and 
leader  can  penetrate  the  sacred  interior.  So  would 
the  invasion  come  to  naught  forever.  So  it  was 
the  great  Sublevado  ch.ief  gave  to  me  the  seven 
hundred  pesos  de  oro  to  remove  the  dread  Gringo 
from  the  island,  to  a  place  far  and  forever  distant 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


—  and  this  we  have  done,  and  two  hundred  pesos 
are  yours,  my  friends.  Let  us  to  the  division." 

Manuel  and  Juanito  eagerly  assented,  for  their 
fingers  had  been  itching  for  a  grasp  on  the  leath- 
ern pouch  which  Antonio  had  brought  aboard  with 
him  and  carefully  stowed  away  in  his  bunk. 

He  went  below,  now,  and  then  came  up,  the  bag 
in  his  hand,  pouring  its  contents  out  upon  the  top 
of  the  "house."  The  sloop  was  sailing  along  on 
level  keel  and  the  glittering  coins  did  not  roll 
away.  Beneath  the  dim  light  of  an  oil  lantern 
suspended  to  the  main-boom  they  clustered  around 
their  treasure,  with  hands  trembling  for  its  divis- 
ion. The  man  at  the  wheel  and  the  cook  were  the 
only  other  members  of  the  crew ;  the  latter  was 
busy  in  the  galley,  but  the  former  stood  just 
behind  the  group,  and  saw  the  shining  heap  of 
silver  and  gold  as  it  poured  from  the  inverted  bag. 
He  could  not  restrain  an  exclamation  of  wonder, 
and  craned  his  neck  to  look  over  Antonio's  shoul- 
der, letting  slip  his  hold  on  the  wheel  for  a  mo- 
ment, thereby  causing  the  craft  to  lurch,  setting 
some  of  the  pesos  rolling  wildly  about  the  deck. 

Antonio  jumped  up  with  a  cry,  while  the  helms- 
man recovered  himself,  and  the  two  companions 
scrambled  after  the  fugitive  coins.  These  -were 
soon  all  gathered  again,  apparently,  and  they  pro- 
ceeded to  count  them,  dividing  the  gold  from  the 
silver.  But  the  number  of  pesos  did  not  tally  with 
Antonio's  expectations;  there  were  two  onzas  of 
gold  missing  —  two  golden  doubloons  of  sixteen 
dollars  each. 

"That  rascally  Pedro,"  muttered  Antonio. 
"  Why  didn't  he  mind  the  sloop  !  Hola  !  Juanito, 
you're  sitting  on  an  onza ;  get  up,  sly  thief,  and 
render  over  the  other !  " 

Saying  which,  Antonio  excitedly  reached  out 
and  snatched  a  gold  piece  from  under  the  strip- 
ling's leg. 

"  Give  me  the  other,  perillo.  dog  of  a  boy,  or  I'll 
throw  you  into  the  sea  !  " 

Juanito  protested ;  he  had  not  seen  the  other, 
and  his  sitting  on  the  one  was  an  accident.  An- 
tonio refused  to  believe  him.  Gathering  the  coins 
into  the  pouch,  he  hurriedly  thrust  it  into  a  corner 
and  advanced  threateningly.  But  Juanito  was  a 
plucky  youth  who  had  always  fought  for  a  living, 
and  had  held  his  own.  Seeing  the  old  sailor's  in- 
tention, he  backed  up  against  the  rail  and  drew 
his  knife.  Then  Antonio  smiled  diabolically, 


made  a  feint  at  him  with  his  left  hand  and,  as  the 
knife  flashed  out  to  meet  it,  stooped  quickly, 
seized  the  boy  by  the  leg,  and  whirled  him  over 
the  rail  into  the  sea. 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  DESCENDANT  OF  MALINCHE. 

There  was  less  of  confusion  on  board  the  sloop 
than  one  unused  to  Mexicans  would  have  expected. 
At  the  time  they  were  running  very  near  an  island 
with  white  ledges  jutting  out  into  the  water,  an 
islet  densely  covered  with  vegetation.  The  helms- 
man was  for  putting  the  vessel  about  and  throwing 
a  rope  to  the  boy  who  was  swimming  lustily  astern. 
But  Antonio  forbade  : 

"Let  him  alone;  the  water  will  cool  his  blood. 
Run  into  yonder  bay,  where  the  rim  of  sand  lies 
between  the  two  cliffs.  He  will  follow." 

Hurling  a  malediction  at  the  swimmer,  he  turned 
on  his  heel.  Soon  the  bay  was  reached — a  little 
cove,  rather  —  and  the  dying  breeze,  cut  off  by 
the  cliffs,  drove  their  bows  gently  upon  the  sand. 
Anchor  was  thrown  out,  master  and  mate  leaped 
ashore.  Then  Juanito,  sullenly  shaking  the  water 
from  his  face,  reached  up  for  the  gunwale  and 
climbed  over  in.  He  found  the  cook  and  helms- 
man laughing  over  the  affair,  and  soon  he  saw  that 
his  master,  having  had  the  best  of  it,  had  con- 
cluded to  forget  the  quarrel,  especially  as  he  had 
discovered  the  gold-piece,  under  a  coil  of  rope. 
But  Juanito  had  no  intention  of  forgetting.  That 
sudden  plunge  into  the  dark  waters  which  were 
sometimes  swarming  with  sharks  was  not  an 
agreeable  incident.  He  paid  no  attention  to  the 
overtures  of  Antonio.  Refusing  to  go  ashore  and 
join  the  others,  he  crawled  off  upon  the  deck, 
where  he  divested  himself  of  his  scanty  garments 
and  wrung  the  water  from  them.  As  he  was 
reaching  out  for  a  blanket,  in  which  to  wrap  him- 
self, for  the  night  was  cool,  his  arm  was  arrested 
in  mid-air  by  a  slight  movement  of  the  hitherto 
silent  prisoner  who  lay  where  they  had  stretched 
him  out  under  the  gunwale.  The  ringers  of  his 
left  hand  were  working  feebly,  as  if  to  untie  the 
withes  that  bound  the  wrists. 

Following  up,  with  a  glance,  from  the  hand  to 
the  head,  Juanito  was  met  by  a  flash  from  a  clear 
brown  eye,  which  gazed  into  his  unflinchingly,  and 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


yet  inquiringly.  The  light  from  the  lantern  fell 
directly  upon  the  prisoner's  face,  bringing  it  out 
clearly,  as  he  lay  on  his  back  in  the  semi-dark- 
ness. It  was  a  young,  handsome,  white  "Amer- 
ican "  face.  As  the  Mexican  lad  gazed  at  him 
a  look  of  admiration  sprang  into  his  eyes.  Then 
a  sudden  flash  of  resolve  crossed  his  face  like 
a  brilliant  smile.  He  gathered  the  blanket  about 
him,  advanced,  sat  down  by  the  prostrate  form, 
took  the  weak  hands  and  began  to  unbind  the 
wrists.  Suddenly  he  stopped  short. 

Bending  down  to  the  prisoner's  ear,  he  whis- 
pered: "Habla  usted  Espanol?  —  Do  you  speak 
Spanish  ? " 

A  movement  of  the  head  answered  him.  "So? 
Then  you  can  understand.  If  I  unbind  you,  you 
will  not  try  to  escape  —  not  to-night?  Nor  will 
you  harm  me  ?  " 

"No."  The  answer  came  huskily,  as  though  by 
great  effort. 

Then  Juanito  again  attacked  the  withes,  nor  did 
he  desist  until  the  young  man  was  free.  After 
several  efforts  to  regain  his  feet  "  el  Norte  Amer- 
icano" as  Juanito  designated  him  in  his  mind, 
finally  reached  a  sitting  posture,  aided  by  his  lib- 
erator. He  looked  about  him,  in  a  dazed  way, 
leaning  against  the  rail,  breathing  heavily,  and 
evidently  with  difficulty. 

Juanito  regarded  him  critically.  "That  will 
pass,"  he  said  half  to  himself,  "that  will  pass 
very  soon.  Lie  down  again,  I  advise  you,"  he 
whispered  in  Spanish.  "  You  will  breathe  better. 
Then,  too,  Antonio  is  there  on  the  beach ;  he 
should  not  see  you.  You  of  course  do  not  know 
Antonio.  But  so  do  I.  Therefore  I  hate  him  ! 
Also  you  should  hate  him.  You  and  I  shall  have 
a  revenge  !  They  will  sleep  on  shore,  but  just 
now  they  are  coming  aboard.  Therefore  lie  down." 

The  brown-eyed  lad  fell  back  listlessly  in  his 
first  position.  The  master  of  the  vessel  stumbled 
past  without  noticing  him.  He  paid  little  atten- 
tion either  to  Juanito,  simply  ordering  him  to  take 
some  bedding  ashore,  and  the  cooking  utensils. 
Then  securing  the  bag  of  money  and  a  bottle  of 
aguardiente,  and  casting  a  glance  around  to  see 
that  the  vessel  was  in  proper  trim,  he  and  Manuel 
rejoined  the  cook  and  the  helmsman  on  the  beach. 

It  was  at  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning 
that  Juanito  crept  quietly  to  the  bows,  a  sharp 
knife  in  his  hand.  Twenty  minutes  later,  or  there- 


abouts, the  white  stranger,  still  lying  under  the 
lee-rail,  heard  a  soft  splash  in  that  direction  ;  then 
the  young  Mexican  came  aft  to  him,  and  grasping 
his  arm,  motioned  him  to  look  over  the  rail.  He 
raised  himself  painfully.  He  could  see  that  the 
black  cliffs  seemed  moving  past  them.  It  was 
with  a  faintly-perceptible  motion,  at  first;  but  soon 
the  white  line  of  sand  grew  blurred,  ;nen  dimmer 
and  more  dim,  finally  fading  away  completely  in 
the  darkness.  The  clear  brown  eyes  turned  in- 
quiringly upon  the  boy.  Juanito  chuckled,  and 
rubbed  his  hands  : 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  did  ?  No  ?  I  cut  the 
cable !  " 

"You  and  I  are  free,  then  ?  "  murmured  the  pris- 
oner, also  in  Spanish. 

"  Free  ?  Yes  !  Only  not  so  fast.  Old  Antonio 
has  his  rifle.  And  how  would  you  like  to  hear  a 
bullet  singing  over  you,  or  boring  a  hole  through 
you,  perhaps  ?  /  have  heard  old  'Tonic's  bullets 
hiss  and  sing;  yes,  and  they  were  sent  after  me, 
too.  Si,  senor  Americano  ;  my  old  master  stops  not 
to  think  when  he  feels  anger  ;  he  fires  at  you  first ; 
perhaps  then  he  reflects  —  who  knows!  Senor,  I 
am  different ;  it  is  not  a  very  little  that  makes  me 
in  anger ;  but  then  I  wait  and  think  long  how  I 
can  best  pay  back.  We  will  not  pay  back  for 
throwing  me  into  the  sea,  and  for  dragging  el  senor 
from  his  island  ?  O,  no  !  He  will  not  feel  the  loss 
of  his  good  sloop,  with  its  cargo  of  fish  and  turtle- 
shell  ?  O,  no !  And  he  will  not  miss  the  faithful 
Juanito,  either,  who  has  done  his  bidding  these 
many  years  ?  O,  no  !  " 

Juanito  looked  as  though  revenge  was  sweet. 

"  It  is  sometimes  better  not  to  take  revenge,  my 
friend,"  said  the  weak  voice  at  his  elbow,  dreamily.' 

Juanito  stared  at  him.  Even  the  padre,  priest 
of  the  village  where  he  was  born,  stood  on  his 
defence  and  retaliated.  But  his  companion  was  too 
weary  to  talk,  even  to  return  his  gaze.  He  showed 
no  anxiety,  no  interest  in  his  own  fate.  Juanito 
desisted  from  questioning  him,  and  crept  softly 
below.  Just  before  dawn  he  came  again,  bringing 
with  him  food  and  drink.  The  "  North  Ameri- 
can "  mechanically  roused  to  take  the  nourish- 
ment, and  with  a  grateful  sigh  he  acknowledged 
Juanito's  cold  sponging  of  his  face  and  hands  and 
neck.  Then  he  seemed  to  look  about  him,  scan- 
ning the  open  sea  with  interest. 

They  had,  by  this  time,  drifted  out  of  sight  o£ 


6 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


the  shore-line  of  the  island,  although  not  out  of 
sound  of  its  surf  which  beat  upon  the  rocks  with  a 
dull  roar.  The  night-breeze  still  blew  brisk  in  the 
channel  between  island  and  mainland,  and  they 
slowly  drifted  within  its  influence.  Then,  when 
Juanito  thought  the  creaking  of  the  blocks  could 
not  reach  the  shore,  he  hoisted  the  sail,  carefully, 
an  inch  at  ^  Sme,  his  prisoner  getting  on  his  feet 
to  assist.  The  craft  felt  the  new  impulse,  and 
moved  more  swiftly;  the  wind  was  from  the  east, 
and  blowing  them  farther  and  farther  from  the 
island. 

Placing  the  stranger  at  the  helm,  with  directions 
to  shape  a  course  northwardly,  Juanito,  in  obedi- 
ence to  his  sailor  instinct,  proceeded  to  make 
everything  ship-shape  on  deck ;  but  presently  he 
came  aft  again.  The  gray  of  dawn  was  now  tak- 
ing the  place  of  the  star-lit  darkness,  and  he  ex- 
tinguished their  light,  which  had  been  anxiously 
guarded.  "We  will  watch  with  our  own  eyes  for 
land  and  enemies,  amigo"  said  he. 

There  was  need  to  watch.  Mugeres,  the  island 
on  which  the  crew  had  been  left  in  slumber,  was 
not  entirely  desolate;  a  fishing  village  lay  on  the 
other  side,  and  Juanito  knew  this,  and  also  that 
the  old  captain  would  lose  no  time  in  crossing  the 
long  stretch  of  scrub-forest  that  lay  between  him 
and  the  village  to  secure  a  vessel  for  pursuit. 

He  also  knew  that  the  deserted  mariners  would 
not  awake  till  daylight,  and  that  it  would  take  them 
at  least  three  hours  to  reach  the  village.  Perhaps, 
at  least  he  hoped  so,  still  another  hour  would  be 
wasted  in  securing  a  boat.  He  calculated,  then, 
upon  having  nearly  half  a  day's  start  of  his  pur- 
suers ;  but  he  knew  that  he  must  rely  more  upon 
his  knowledge  of  the  inlets  and  lagunas  of  the 
coast,  than  upon  the  sailing  qualities  of  the  sloop, 
which  was  not  by  any  means  a  fast  one. 

The  day  passed  and  night  fell  again.  Unless 
they  wished  to  sail  up  into  the  unknown  expanse 
of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  they  should  now  change 
their  course ;  but  instead,  Juanito  held  the  more 
northwardly,  till  midnight,  in  order  to  baffle  the 
enemy,  who  knew  the  coast  even  better  than  they 
did.  Then  he  changed  again,  due  southwest  now, 
having  reached  a  point  nearly  one  hundred  miles 
from  land. 

As  they  sat  together  after  putting  the  sloop 
about,  Juanito  suddenly  interrogated  his  prisoner : 
'What  does  el  senor  Americano  call  himself?" 


"My  name,"  the  American  answered,  "is  Johrt 
-John  North." 

"Juan  Norte;  and  mine,  too,  is  John  —  Juanito. 
Juanito  Alcantara,  senor,  alsenncio  de  usted —  at  your 
service.  And  what  was  el  senor  doing  down  here  in 
Cozumel  ?  For  what  was  he  waiting  in  Cozumel?" 
Why  did  the  chief  of  the  Sublevados  pay  great 
pesos  to  rid  Cozumel  of  el  senor — a  boy  like  me  ?  "" 

"Christobal !  "  cried  the  American  with  interest.. 
"Was  this  ship  in  the  service  of  Christobal  ? " 

Juanito  told  the  story  of  the  drugged  choco- 
late, and  gave  him  Antonio's  account.  The  young 
prisoner  smiled  at  the  great  chief's  fears,  but  as 
Juanito  talked  he  revolved  many  things  in  his- 
mind,  and  half  resolved  that  there  should  be  an 
"army"  and  an  "invasion  "  not  of  soldiers,  as  the 
great  Maya  chief  had  feared,  but  of  scientists  and. 
explorers — an  army  with  torches  and  spades.. 
Once  more  he  would  behold  his  little  Princess  Xia 
and  her  brother,  and  this  time  he  would  remain, 
and  give  the  Silver  City  a  strong  and  wise  govern- 
ment. His  heart  beat  high  at  the  thought  of  the- 
true  and  tender  and  trustful  young  Princess.. 
"With  Xia  and  Zan,  and  their  people,  will  I  abide," 
said  he.  Ah !  what  a  dream  !  Sitting  there  on 
deck  of  the  kidnapped  sloop,  with  no  human  be- 
ing in  reach  except  this  golden-skinned  young 
Mexican,  how  was  he  to  reach  home  and  secure 
the  money  and  the  men  for  explorations  in  Yuca- 
tan !  Mysterious  and  terrible  Yucatan !  O  for 
money  !  A  million  was  not  too  much  ! 

With  a  sigh  he  turned  back  to  Juanito :  "  Why- 
was  I  left  in  Cozumel  ?  Because  I  would  be  left- 
I  had  an  unredeemed  promise  to  the  United  States- 
Government.  I  had  promised  the  Government 
specimens  of  the  birds  of  Yucatan.  I  staid  to  do 
it.  I  had  nearly  done  it.  I  should  have  shipped 
them  North  within  the  year.  Now  you  have  un- 
done my  work.  You  have  burned  my  specimens, 
my  journals,  my  three  years'  work !  My  future 
too,  and  the  future  of  others  !  " 

"What  will  el  senor  do?  "  said  Juanito  humbly. 

"  El  senor  "  set  his  white  teeth.  "  I  will  go^back 
to  Cozumel,"  said  he.  "  But  I  will  first  go  home 
for  men  and  money." 

"  I  will  get  money  for  el  senor,  and  I  will  be  one- 
man  for  him,"  said  Juanito. 

John  smiled.  But  Juanito's  soft  big  black  eyes- 
were  fixed  on  him  gravely.  "  I  can  serve  el  Norte 
Americano"  he  said. 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


John  smiled  again,  and  patted  the  bronze  hand 
that  lay  on  the  gunwale  as  he  might  have  patted 
the  head  of  a  dumb,  loving  dog  or  horse. 

They  sailed  for  days,  taking  watch  and  watch, 
sleeping  and  waking  by  turn.  But  at  last,  one 
afternoon,  the  Mexican  came  and  said,  "Another 
night  and  one  part  of  a  day  and  we  shall  sail  into 
River  Coatzcoalcos.  There  we  come  beyond  reach 
of  my  master." 

"  And  when  we  have  reached  a  port  will  my 
friend  Juanito  send  word  to  Antonio  that  his  prop- 
erty is  there,  waiting  to  be  restored  to  him  ?  " 

The  Mexican  looked  at  him  steadily  for  a  space. 

"  SeTwrito,  '  Little  Master,' "  said  he,  "  you  are 
older  than  Juanito.  You  have  had  learning  set  be- 
fore you  in  the  schools.  You  have  had  father  and 
mother  to  teach  you  good  from  the  bad.  Juanito 
has  had  no  school ;  nobody  cared ;  only  Antonio 
took  him  that  he  might  have  one  to  work  for  him, 
to  do  for  nothing  what  others  do  for  pay.  Ten 
years  Juanito  has  served  Antonio.  Faithfully  Juan- 
ito has  served  him.  What  has  Juanito  to-day  ?  " 

The  boy  stood  erect,  with  his  great  black  eyes 
overflowing  with  emotion,  and  pointed  to  his  scant 
and  ragged  garments.  "This  is  all,  seTwrito  —  all 
that  Antonio  has  given  for  ten  years'  service  ! " 

It  afterward  transpired  that  the  boy  had  been 
for  years  as  a  slave  to  the  turtle-catcher;  this  was 
his  first  break  for  liberty.  It  was  but  fair,  to  his 
mind,  that  he  should  seize  the  craft  —  if  he  could 
—  as  an  equivalent  for  all  the  debts  of  the  past. 

His  New  England-born  companion  was  touched 
by  this  plea  for  justice ;  he  felt  a  thrill  of  compassion 
for  the  boy.  He  resolved  to  secure  him  his  dues 
if  possible.  Yet  of  course  the  Mexican's  property 
must  be  restored.  But  he  wisely  deferred  further 
discussion  until  a  time  should  come  for  action. 

Meantime  through  all  his  conversation  a  name 
had  been  ringing  in  his  ears :  Coatzcoalcos. 

"  Why  do  we  go  to  Coatzcoalcos,  Juanito  ? " 

"  Because  "  —  the  boy  hesitated ;  "  there  we  may 
escape  Antonio." 

"  Is  there  no  other  reason  ?  " 

The  streak  of  red  in  the  boy's  cheek  spread 
beyond  its  accustomed  limits.  Then  he  answered  : 
"Juanito  has  friends  there." 

"  At  the  port  ? " 

"  No;  in  the  interior,  on  the  llanos ;  there  Juanito 
was  born ;  there  his  ancestors  lived,  for  nearly 
three  hundred  years." 


"That  is  a  long  time." 

"  Si,  my  family  is  a  very  old  one,  senor" 

"  Old  as  the  Conquest  ?  " 

"  More  than  that,"  answered  Juanito ;  "  before 
the  Spaniards  came  here  my  people  ruled  this  re- 
gion. Does  'Little  Master'  know  about  the  Con- 
quest ? " 

"  Yes ;  I  have  read  of  it  in  history." 

"  Then  he  knows  that  Cortez,  the  Great  Captain, 
came  here ;  even  just  here ;  he  sailed  along  this 
very  coast;  he  landed  at  Tabasco." 

"Yes,  Juanito,  I  know;  it  was  in  1519." 

"  Then  the  senorito  knows  that  when  he  came  to 
Coatzcoalcos  he  was  met  by  some  of  our  caciques, 
who  presented  him  with  a  beautiful  Indian 
maiden  ? " 

"  Yes,  Juanito ;  it  was  the  most  romantic  episode 
of  that  gloomy  campaign.  And  she  was  a  blessing 
to  Cortez  and  the  Spaniards,  this  Indian  maiden, 
for  she  served  them  as  interpreter  and  brought 
over  to  their  cause  many  other  Indians." 

"  Amiga,  you  tell  it  well,  better  than  Juanito  can,, 
because  he  has  not  seen  it  in  the  books  ;  Juanito  had 
it  from  the  stories  told  him  by  the  old  ones.  But 
Malinche,  the  beautiful  Indian  girl,  was  a  prin- 
cess of  Tabasco,  was  she  not  ?  She  followed  the 
fortunes  of  el  capitan,  Cortez,  faithfully,  did  she 
not  ?  And  then,  after  the  wars  were  over,  she 
returned  to  her  own  land,  to  her  own  native  town, 
and  there  dwelt  in  honor,  did  she  not  ? " 

"  Yes,  Juanito,  you  and  history  agree." 

Juanito's  eyes  were  glowing,  his  form  dilated, 
and  his  handsome  face  was  alive  with  feeling. 

"Malinche  was  of  royal  blood.  Antonio  often 
laughed  at  me  because  I  claimed  her  as  my  ances- 
tor and  was  proud  of  it." 

"Do  you  mean,  Juanito,  that  you  are  a  descend- 
ant of  Malintzin,  the  heroine  of  the  Conquest?" 
cried  John,  thrilled  with  the  most  romantic  aston- 
ishment. 

"Si,  seTwrito ;  and  in  her  own  town,  on  the  land 
that  once  was  hers,  I,  Juanito,  lived,  when  a  child." 
Then  a  fierce  gleam  lit  up  his  face,  and  he  added : 
"  But  how  did  Juanito  live  there  ?  Does  the  senor- 
ito know  ?  No  ?  He  lived  there  as  the  child 
of  slavery!  Si/"  This  last  word  was  hissed 
forth,  as  a  serpent  might  have  uttered  it.  "Sif 
On  the  land  once  his  family's  own,  secured 
to  it  by  the  country  Malinche  saved  to  tne 
Spaniards  ;  taken  from  it  by  sons  of  those  same 


8 


MONTEZ  UMA 'S     GOLD    MINE  S. 


Guachupines,  and  with  it  our  freedom ;  Maldicion  !  " 

John  gazed  at  the  lad.  This  was  most  stirring, 
most  strange  !  But  why  should  it  not  be  true  ? 
Juanito  was  a  handsome  lad,  as  fine  in  form  and 
feature  as  the  cherished  young  Prince  of  the  Silver 
City.  He  took  his  hand.  "  Heaven  help  us 
both  ! "  said  he  gently,  in  Spanish.  "  Let  us  stand 
by  each  other." 

He  left  him  at  the  helm  and  went  forward  to  tend 
the  sail.  But  when  he  returned,  Juanito's  excite- 
ment had  not  gone  down.  His  dark  face  was 
almost  beautiful  with  its  glows  and  reds  as  he 
turned  to  John,  and  spoke  rapidly :  "  Does  el 
seTiorito  wish  much  for  money  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  the  "Little  Master,"  with  a  smile, 
"  that  he  does." 

"  Juanito  means  immense  riches ;  gold  and  sil- 


JUANITOS   COLD   BATH. 

ver  by  the  ton ;  so  much  that  the  '  Little  Master ' 
might  build  a  Silver  City  himself." 

John  laughed.  "  I  shouldn't  mind  being  as  rich 
as  even  that,  Juanito." 

"The  richest  mine  in  the  world  —  would  that 
tempt  Little  Master  to  take  a  long  journey  ? " 

"Probably." 

"  Will  he  take  it  at  once  ? " 

"As  soon  as  the  existence  of  this  magic  mine 
shall  be  made  clear  to  him,"  laughed  the  Little 
Master. 

"But  it  is  clear.  At  least  it  can  be  with  the 
help  of  senorito" 

"You  speak  in  riddles,  Juanito.  Come  now, 
tell  me  to  what  mine  do  you  refer  ? " 

"  My  friend  has  heard  of  el  rey  Montezuma  ?  " 

"  Of  course  he  has  heard  of  that  famous  Mexi- 


can," said  John.  He  turned  now  n,  Juanito  with 
more  attention  than  he  had  ao  yet  shown. 

"  He  was  the  great  King  of  the  Aztecs,"  went 
on  the  young  Mexican  with  kindling  eye.  "  He 
had  gold,  gold,  gold,  chambers  of  yellow  gold. 
Where  did  he  get  it,  Little  Master  ? " 

"I  have  heard,"  replied  John,  "that  he  got  it 
from  the  mines  of  Malinaltepec.  My  father  told 
me  much  of  these  same  mines,  Juanito.  My  father 
was  for  many  years  a  prisoner  among  the  fierce 
Lacandones.  There  he  learned  much  of  the  secret 
of  the  Aztec  treasure.  When  he  went  home  to 
the  North,  he  left  me  the  description  of  the  mines. 
I  used  to  dream  sometimes  in  Cozumel  that  I 
would  go  and  search  for  them.  But  I  always  saw 
many  obstacles  in  the  way ;  I  cannot  speak  the 
language  of  the  Indians  of  the  country  holding  the 
mines,  and  now  I  have  lost  the  clue  my  father 
gave  me.  You  burned  it,  Juanito." 

"  What  was  the  clue,  senorito  ?  " 

"  It  was  a  book,  written  by  Cortez,  the  con- 
queror, and  in  it  were  described  the  mines  of  Mon- 
tezuma, and  the  way  to  them." 

"  Dios  mio,  seTiorito  !  Then  if  we  had  that  book 
how  easy  all  our  desires  would  be  fulfilled  ?  " 

"  I  do  think  we  together  might  possibly  have 
found  the  ancient  mines,"  said  John. 

"But  why  not  try  without  that  book?  Juanito 
knows  all  the  Indian  knows  about  the  treasure- 
vaults  ;  he  can  speak  the  Zapotic,  that  is  spoken  by 
the  Indians  of  the  hills;  and  he  knows  the  direc- 
tion to  reach  that  region.  More  than  this,  amigo, 
look!"  He  thrust  his  hand  into  his  bosom  and 
drew  out  a  little  leather  case,  which  was  suspended 
about  his  neck  by  a  string.  "  Always  I  carry  this 
with  me  ;  it  has  in  it  the  proof  of  my  descent  from 
Malinche,  and  it  has  —  but  let  senorito  trust  me. 
It  was  a  gift  from  a  great  chieftain  of  the  hills  to 
Malinche.  It  is  three  hundred  years  old  and 
more,  Little  Master." 

The  boys  talked  far  into  the  deepening  after- 
noon. No  more  fascinating  and  romantic  matter 
ever  occupied  two  lads.  No  stranger  situation 
could  be.  The  most  wonderful  adventure  was 
possible.  They  were  already  so  near  the  coast 
that  another  hour  would  land  them  on  the  myste- 
rious historical  shores.  The  slant  rays  of  the 
sinking  sun  bathed  a  white  sail  and  the  glistening 
walls  of  a  town  in  golden  sheen. 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

(Author  of"  The  Silver  City") 


CHAPTER  III. 

FREEDOM    FOR   JUAXITO. 

A  NARROW  inlet  broke  the  line  of  coast  ahead 
of  them.  This  inlet,  Juanito  remembered, 
led  to  a  placid  lagoon  behind  the  sand-hills.  So 
he  stood  in  for  the  bar  at  its  mouth,  guiding  his 
course  by  the  foam-flashes  of  the  breakers,  and 
dexterously  threading  the  narrow  and  winding  chan- 
nel. Finally  gliding  into  smooth  water,  behind  the 
medanos,  or  sand-hills,  they  felt  a  security  they  had 
not  experienced  for  several  days. 

"  We  can  rest  now,  Little  Master,"  said  Juanito ; 
"  and  if  that  sail  we  saw  should  follow,  and  should 
chance  to  be  an  enemy  —  I  suppose  the  great  bird- 
hunter  can  use  a  rifle  !  " 

Once  they  thought  they  heard  the  flapping  of  sails, 
and  hoarse  shouts  ;  but  no  further  noise  disturbed 
them,  and  they  went  to  sleep. 

When  they  awoke,  it  was  broad  day ;  the  tropic 
sun  was  laughing  at  them  over  the  tree-tops. 
" Senorito"  said  Juanito,  "Little  Master  —  I  call 
you  that  because  you  are  the  leader-born  —  the 
wind  is  rising,  and  we  should  at  once  sail  out  into 
the  river." 

A  town  lay  at  the  mouth  of  the  Coatzcoalcos ; 
but  this  they  managed  to  avoid  by  taking  a  swampy 
passage  leading  out  of  the  western  end  of  the  la- 
goon. Emerging  they  entered  the  great  river,  and 
aimed  to  reach  another  town,  twenty  miles  higher 
up,  which,  Juanito  said,  was  called  Minatitlan. 
The  current  was  swift  and  the  wind  fitful,  as  great 
trees  rose  high  above  the  swampy  shores,  and  they 
were  obliged  often  to  labor  for  hours  at  the  oars. 
Late  in  the  afternoon  they  reached  the  town,  five 
hundred  miles  distant  from  the  island  they  had 
drifted  from  the  week  before.  It  was  not  an  at- 
tractive village,  being  mostly  Indian  huts.  But 
they  were  not  travellers  looking  for  attractions  ;  the 
village  was  the  starting-point  for  a  long  overland 
journey  into  the  interior.  It  was  the  first  stepping- 
stone,  in  fact,  across  the  unknown  distance  between 
them  and  the  misty  region  of  gold. 


They  drew  up  to  the  rotting  wharf,  both  too 
busy  to  notice  a  man  apparently  in  waiting;  a 
man  who  looked  at  the  two  young  sailors  as  though 
sighting  along  a  rifle-barrel. 

Juanito  suddenly  saw  him.  "  As  I  thought !  " 
exclaimed  he.  "  That  boat  in  sight,  as  we  entered 
the  inlet,  held  Antonio  and  Manuel.  So,  Little 
Master." 

"Welcome,  caballeros,  welcome  to  Minatitlan!" 
That  harsh  and  jeering  voice  belonged,  without  a 
doubt,  to  the  old  grizzly  Antonio.  He  threw  his 
head  back  and  laughed  at  the  sight  of  his  ship  and 
his  slave.  Another  man,  who  had  run  rapidly  up 
into  the  town,  as  Juanito  and  his  craft  had  hove 
in  sight,  now  came  back,  an  alcalde  and  three 
rusty,  ragged  soldiers  at  his  heels.  They  were 
dirty,  and  under-sized  —  these  soldiers  —  their  mus- 
kets rude  rattling  old  weapons  of  a  pattern  quite 
unknown  to  John ;  but  the  men  were  backed  by 
the  majesty  of  the  law,  resistance  would  have 
been  useless,  and  our  young  New  Englander 
waited  in  silence.  Juanito,  with  an  imprecation, 
took  up  a  rifle  ;  but  John  restrained  his  movements 
by  a  motion,  and  he  dropped  it,  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  the  next  moment  was  following 
gloomily  after  his  companion  as  he  climbed  to  the 
wharf. 

The  ferocious-visaged  Indians  marched  them 
both  off  to  the  calaboza,  or  jail,  a  stone  building 
with  massive  walls,  and  thrust  them  into  a  mouldy 
room  with  a  single  grated  window,  swarming  with 
innumerable  cockroaches  and  centipedes. 

John  said  nothing,  did  nothing,  for  a  while.  He 
sat  as  if  in  a  stupor.  But  Juanito,  glowering  at 
the  dungeon  door,  sullenly  occupied  himself  with 
whetting  his  knife  upon  the  stones  of  his  cell.  "  It 
is  for  Antonio,"  he  muttered ;  "  if  I  can  get  at  him 
only,  I  will  pay  him  his  wages.  He  has  earned 
wages  of  me.  I  owe  him  debts,  large  debts,  Lit- 
tle Master." 

John  looked  at  him  with  a  gesture  of  disappro- 
bation. After  a  moment  he  said,  "  You  believe  in 
me,  Juanito  ?  You  trust  me,  do  you  not  ? " 

"  Si,  senorito." 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MIXES. 


"  Do  you  not  believe  that  I  can  cope  with  An- 
tonio, that  I  can  set  you  free  from  him?" 

Juanito  hesitated ;  he  had  great  faith  in  the 
young  white  man,  but  he  knew  Antonio.  "  Antonio 
is  a  crafty  dog,  senorito" 

"  Without  doubt,  Juanito.  He  shall  do  you  jus- 
tice, however.  Revenge  we  do  not  want,  do  we, 
amigo  ?  " 

Amiga -^  "friend;"  this  word  seemed  to  touch 
the  Mexican  lad.  "Amigo"  he  syllabled  softly, 
instead  of  replying  to  John.  In  years  and  years 
nobody  had  called  him  " friend."  " Senorito"  he 
said  at  last,  laying  down  his  knife,  rising  to  his 
feet,  and  looking  up  at  John,  "  I  am  not  yet  worthy 
to  be  called  'friend.'  Juanito  has  yet  to  atone  for 
stealing  the  Little  Master  from  the  Isla  Cozumel. 
How  can  the  Little  Master  trust  Juanito  —  that 
Juanito  who  did  Antonio's  bidding  on  Cozumel  — 
that  Juanito  ? " 

"  Because,"  answered  the  American,  "  the  Juan- 
ito who  did  Antonio's  wicked  work  is  not  the  one 
who  now  confesses  it." 

" Es  verdad"  admitted  the  boy,  "it  is  true. 
There  was  a  good  Juanito  hidden  within  the  bad 
one,  all  the  time ;  but  he  might  never  have  come 
up  into  the  light  had  it  not  been  for  senorito.  So 
it  is  that  the  good  Juanito  will  ever 'be  at  his  ser- 
vice. But  the  bad  one  thirsts  for  revenge  upon 
Antonio  "  —  he  added  fiercely,  "  thirsts  !  thirsts  !  " 

They  sat  conversing  late,  then  lay  down  to  sleep 
upon  the  stone  floor.  No  beds,  no  food  had  been 
provided. 

Early  next  morning,  however,  the  jailer  came 
with  a  simple  meal ;  and  at  nine  o'clock  he  came 
again,  followed  by  the  alcalde  and  his  soldiers,  who 
escorted  them  to  the  tribunal  before  which  the  old 
turtle-catcher  had  brought  complaint.  There  sat 
the  judge,  a  kindly-looking  old  man,  with  white 
hair  and  moustache,  and  black  twinkling  eyes. 

Both  Antonio  and  Manuel  were  there,  and  they 
sprang  to  their  feet  with  a  fierce  scowl  as  the 
young  men  entered.  The  alcalde,  bearing  his  sil- 
ver-tipped wand  of  office,  led  the  way  into  the 
court-room  and  assigned  to  each  his  place.  This 
done,  he  looked  about  him  savagely,  and  waved 
his  wand,  as  though  to  say :  "  You  see  me,  Don 
Mariano  de  la  Angostura,  alcalde  of  this  district ; 
show  me  a  bigger  man,  if  you  can."  Then  he  sat 
down,  and  glared  at  everybody  in  general. 

Antonio,   corroborated    frequently    by  Manuel, 


narrated  how  it  was  that  his  boat  had  been  taken 
from  him,  but  saying  never  a  word  as  to  the  pre- 
vious happenings  of  the  voyage. 

After  this  account  was  finished,  John  was  called. 
The  judge,  knowing  that  he  was  an  American,  as- 
sumed that  he  could  not  speak  Spanish,  and  sent 
out  for  an  interpreter. 

"  Pardon,  your  honor,"  said  John,  "  but  I  can 
speak  Castilian  a  little."  And  then  he  gave,  in 
Spanish,  an  account  of  the  taking  of  the  sloop. 

The  judge  seemed  to  be  captivated  by  his  straight- 
forward bearing,  and  by  the  purity  of  his  speech. 
"Ah,"  he  murmured,  " es  Castiliano  puro — it  is 
the  Castilian  of  old  Spain." 

To  the  evident  surprise  of  Antonio,  John  had  so 
far  confined  his  story  solely  to  the  seizure  of  the 
boat.  But  now,  that  told,  he  paused.  Then  fixing 
hie  gaze  upon  the  judge,  he  said  :  "  Your  honor, 
may  I  ask  a  single  question  ? " 

"  Certainly ;  par  su  puesto  —  go  on." 

"  Your  honor,  I  would  like  to  ask,  What  is  the 
penalty  for  kidnaping  ?" 

"  The  penalty,  upon  good  and  sufficient  proof  is 
—  death!" 

John  turned  towards  Juanito's  master ;  the  old 
Mexican  shook  visibly.  His  face  took  on  an  ashen 
hue.  His  eyes  glared,  and  his  hand  fumbled  at 
his  belt. 

"  Senor  Americano"  said  the  judge,  "you  imply 
something  serious  by  this  question.  Have  you 
any  charge  to  prefer  against  any  one  here  ? " 

John  hesitated.  He  had  no  desire  for  revenge. 
He  did  not  care  to  drag  this  unhappy  man  to  jail. 
Much  less  would  he  bring  about  his  death.  He 
was  saved  immediate  actfon  by  the  old  turtle- 
catcher  himself,  who,  with  a  fearful  cry,  dashed 
away,  followed  by  Manuel.  But  they  leaped 
through  the  doorway  only  to  encounter  the  fixed 
bayonets  of  the  three  soldiers,  who  halted  them, 
and  then  compelled  them  to  return. 

The  judge  eying  the  men  sternly,  again  told 
John  to  prefer  his  complaint. 

"  I  would  rather  refer  them  to  the  clemency  of 
your  honor,"  replied  the  young  man. 

"  So  it  may  be,"  said  the  judge,  "  but  acquaint 
me  with  the  circumstances." 

Then  John  told  the  story  of  his  enforced  depart- 
ure from  Cozumel,  such  gaps  in  the  narrative  as 
he  could  not  fill  being  bridged  by  Juanito. 

"  You  have  just  cause  for  at  least  incarcerating 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


these  men  for  life,"  the  judge  said  when  they  had 
finished. 

"  Your  honor,  I  desire  nothing  for  myself." 
Then  he  told  the  story  of  Juanito's  long  slavery. 
"  I  do  ask  that  reparation  be  made  this  young 
man,"  he  said,  with  sudden  fire  in  his  eyes,  "  for 
long  years  of  unrequited  servitude  ;  and  also  a 
complete  legal  release  from  his  master." 

The  judge  reflected  a  few  moments,  shading  his 
face  with  his  hand.  There  was  a  humorous  smile 
on  his  lips  as  he  delivered  his  decision  :  "  Senor 
Antonio,  you  received,  from  the  savage,  Christobal, 
seven  hundred  pesos  de  oro  for  the  performance  of 
a  work  that  might  have  brought  upon  you  the 
severest  penalty  of  the  law.  Since  this  generous 
stranger  waives  his  right  to  complain  against  you, 
I  may  release  you  from  certain  legal  consequences 
of  that  deed,  but  on  conditions  :  What  have  yo'u  to 
say  against  forfeiting  your  ill-gotten  gold  ? " 

Antonio's  features  writhed  with  the  anguish  of 
one  having  his  heart-strings  severed ;  but  he  said 
nothing. 

"  However,"  continued  the  upright  Mexican, 
"  in  view  that  you  have  suffered  much  inconven- 
ience by  the  loss  of  your  boat  for  a  time,  and  have 
been  at  some  expense,  I  merely  order  that  you 
divide  equally  with  your  companions  the  sum  given 
you,  and  give  to  your  former  servant,  Juanito,  a 
release  forever  from  service." 

There  was  no  appeal  from  this  decision.  Before 
they  left  the  hall,  the  money  was  divided,  and  the 
papers  drawn  up  and  signed  by  which  Juanito  re- 
ceived absolute  freedom. 

It  should  be  explained,  in  this  connection,  that 
in  Mexico  (even  at  the  present  day,  although  slav- 
ery was  abolished  sixty  years  ago)  thousands  of 
Indians  are  held  in  bondage.  For  by  Mexican 
law,  if  one  of  them  incur  a  debt,  he  must  repay  it 
with  his  labor.  The  landed  proprietors,  the  own- 
ers of  Haciendas,  or  large  estates,  thus  hold  their 
peones,  or  laborers,  by  a  grip  as  strong  as  ever 
existed  in  days  of  legal  slavery.  They  take  good 
care  that  their  servants  never  get  out  of  debt,  and 
ever  remain  slaves.  Even  death  does  not  release 
these  victims,  for  their  obligations  descend  upon 
their  children,  and  through  them  to  their  remote 
descendants.  One  of  Juanito's  ancestors  had  been 
made  the  victim  of  this  iniquitous  law,  through  the 
conspiracy  of  the  Spanish  rulers,  and  hence  his 
family  had  rested  under  the  ban  of  peonage.  It 


was  through  purchase  of  this  obligation  that  An- 
tonio  had  acquired  possession  of  Juanito,  while 
other  Mexicans  held  other  members  of  his  family. 
By  the  sentence  of  the  Minatitlan  judge,  the  lad 
was  now  rendered  a  free  man,  forever  released 
from  all  claims,  and  in  full  possession  of  his  rights. 
He  was  so  stupefied  at  his  good  fortune,  that  he 
could  only  cling  to  his  padron's  hand,  and  kiss  it 
gratefully. 

But  when  it  came  to  the  division  of  Christobal's 
gold,  Juanito  refused  to  take  the  portion  counted 
out  to  him  ;  he  would  have  none  of  it  —  it  was  the 
price  of  a  crime.  Nor  would  he  take  it  in  consid- 
eration of  his  ten  years  of  toil.  But  let  Antonio 
look  to  himself !  if  ever  he  crossed  his  path  ! 

"My  son,"  protested  the  judge,  "I  shall  take 
this  money  for  you.  I  will  give  your  friend  here  a 
receipt  —  the  time  will  come  when  you  will  see  fit 
to  call  for  the  gold  and  will  be  able  to  make  good 
use  of  it.  What  is  your  name  ?  "  He  paused,  pen 
in  hand. 

"Juanito  Alcantara,  your  worship,"  answered 
the  lad,  still  glowering  at  his  old  master. 

"  Alcantara !  What !  But  surely  not  of  the  fam- 
ily of  Tuxtlas !  " 

"  The  same,  your  worship  !  " 

"  Mother  of  Mercy !  "  cried  the  judge.  "  What 
wrong  that  a  descendant  of  our  Princess  should 
have  been  in  slavery.  May  God  requite  your 
sorrows ! " 

He  evidently  regarded  the  lad  with  interest  from 
this  moment.  "  Jesu  !  "  he  muttered,  turning  away. 
"And  this  in  the  native  province  of  his  noble 
ancestress!  What  wrong!  what  injustice!  No 
wonder  is  it  that  the  gentle  spirit  of  the  great 
Princess  walks  the  old  gardens  of  Chapultepec !  " 

He  congratulated  the  young  men  warmly  on 
their  escape  from  the  turtle-catcher,  plainly  believ- 
ing that  John  had  been  destined  for  as  bad  a  fate 
as  Juanito's.  "  Dios  mio  /"  he  exclaimed  again, 
addressing  John,  "that  the  descendant  of  the 
kind  Malinche,  of  the  noble  Knight  Jaramillo  — 
he  of  the  Conquistadors  —  should  have  served  as  a 
fisherman's  slave !  He  belongs  in  the  royal  city, 
in  the  Street  of  Medinas !  The  blood  of  the 
Aztec  Princess  shows  in  his  cheek  and  in  his  eye 
—  see  !  " 

In  truth  Juanito  had  flushed  and  kindled  as  he 
heard  the  judge  recount  his  historic  ancestry, 
and  brow  and  cheek  flamed  anew  now  at  the 


12 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


sense  of  his  long  slavery.  "  I  hate  like  the  Span- 
iard ! "  he  cried  out  fiercely.  "  I  cannot  forgive 
like  the  generous  Malinche  —  no !  no,  not  yet !  " 
he  added,  meeting  John's  eyes. 

The  romantic  story  of  Donna  Marina,  the  Aztec 
interpretess  for  the  Conquistadors,  had  long  ago 
been  familiar  to  John  in  the  pages  of  Prescott, 
and  now  the  strange  incidents  came  one  by  one 
back  into  his  remembrance  as  he  sat  in  the  dingy 
old  Mexican  law-court.  Was  this  golden-skinned 
youth  indeed  a  descendant  of  a  royal  standard- 
bearer  of  the  time  of  Cortez  and  the  Conquest  — 


then,  is  at  your  disposal  while  you  make  your 
plans.  My  advice  and  assistance  also  are  at  your 
service." 

After  a  moment's  reflection,  John  confided  to 
him  that  they  had  intended  to  go  upon  a  journey 
of  exploration,  more  or  less  extended,  into  the 
interior. 

The  judge  told  them  to  bring  their  effects  from 
the  vessel,  while  he  would  send  out  to  find  them 
some  trusty  canoemen,  since  the  river  was  their 
route  for  the  present. 

Manuel  and  Antonio  had  disappeared  as  soon 


IN  CUSTODY:    ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  TRIBUNAL. 


Don  Juan  Xaramillo,  one  of  Cortez's  Castilian 
Knights  ?  This  living  paragraph  of  old  history 
almost  confused  his  brain,  intimate  with  romance 
as  he  had  been  in  Yucatan.  His  proposed  quest 
for  the  lost  gold  mines  appeared  to  him,  for  the 
moment,  no  fantasy.  He  reverted  to  the  old  New 
England  farmhouse,  his  father  and  mother  and 
brother,  and  questioned  his  own  sanity. 

Meanwhile  he  was  listening  to  the  courteous 
words  of  the  high-minded  old  Mexican  judge. 
"You  are  here  strangers,  and  worse.  My  house, 


as  released  ;  but  with  a  soldier  the  young  men 
overtook  them  before  they  had  launched  the  boat, 
and  they  were  made  to  deliver  over  Juanito's  few 
possessions.  They  did  this  with  ill-grace.  They 
swore,  as  soon  as  they  were  safe  in  mid-stream, 
that  they  would  be  amply  revenged  for  all  their 
trouble. 

"  Let  it  so  stand,"  cried  Juanito,  hurling  back 
their  taunts ;  "  but  remember  that  I  too  have 
accounts  to  settle  !  You  have  not  finished  with 
your  slave ! " 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IT?   TFF   COATZCOALCOS. 

John  and  juanito  remained  guests  of  the  judge 
for  two  days,  during  which  time  the  Mexican  ex- 
erted himself  to  the  utmost  to  forward  their  plans. 
He  engaged  a  great  canoe  with  rowers,  provisioned 
it  for  the  journey,  and  gave  them  medicines  to 
ward  off  the  evil  effects  of  the  malarious  climate 
of  the  lowlands.  He  asked  no  questions.  But 
when  one  day  they  mentioned  the  locality  they 
intended  to  explore,  his  black  eyes  twinkled  :  "  It 
is  a  grand  search,  young  men.  Say  not  a  word. 
I  would  join  you,  were  it  not  for  my  age  and  fam- 
ily. I  too  have  had  my  dreams.  But  bring  to  me 
some  memento  of  il  rey,  if  it  be  only  a  hatchet  of 
copper."  They  promised,  laughingly,  to  bring  him 
one  of  the  largest  nuggets  of  gold,  making  no  ef- 
fort to  dispel  his  sagacious  conclusions. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  they  said  adios, 
and  launched  their  canoe  upon  the  great  river, 
alone  again,  with  no  company  but  the  sinewy  In- 
dians tugging  at  their  paddles.  They  were  on  a 
tropical  river,  where  palms  rose  on  each  bank, 
projecting  their  heads  above  the  mass  of  vegeta- 
tion that  walled  them  in  ;  where  vines  hung  from 
sombre  trees  and  fell  to  the  water  —  vines  span- 
gled with  flowers,  and  odorous  with  a  thousand 
blossoms ;  where  orchids  and  wild  pines  sat 
astride  great  branches  and  shot  into  the  air  their 
spikes  of  bloom,  and  lianas  hung  like  cables  and 
cordage  from  the  leafy  canopy  above.  The  solemn, 
sullen  river  rolled  on  its  dark  flood  without  a 
sound,  and  the  paddle-dips  and  cries  of  their  boat- 
men alone  disturbed  the  silence. 

It  was  not  once  absent  from  the  young  com- 
mander's mind  that  they  were  voyaging  through  a 
country  rich  in  aboriginal  traditions  and  in  mem- 
ories of  the  Spanish  Conquest,  and  he  would 
gladly  have  halted  on  his  journey  to  penetrate 
within  and  examine  places  where  interesting 
events  had  taken  place.  All  the  region  he  hourly 
left  behind  was  once  astir  with  martial  music, 
and  the  forests  about  Tabasco  and  Coatzcoalcos 
alive  with  gathering  hordes  of  angry  Indians, 
assembled  to  repel  the  invaders.  For  there  Cor- 
tez  landed,  in  1519,  and  had  his  first  conflict  with 
the  natives ;  and  there  the  first  horses  ever  upon 
the  soil  of  Mexico  were  brought  into  terrible 


contact  with  the  Indians.  Against  fearful  odds, 
fought  the  poor  people  who  were  thus  invaded, 
put  to  defending  themselves  on  their  own  soil; 
and  when  they  had  brought  up  their  well-trained 
troops  in  masses  and  hurled  them  upon  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  strangers  were  about  to  re- 
treat, there  then  appeared  the  apparition  of  the 
horses,  Cortez's  cavalry,  brought  from  Cuba,  of 
fiery  chestnut  horses  in  glittering  caparison.  As- 
tonished, the  poor  creatures  gazed  with  awe  at 
these  fearful  monsters,  pawing,  snorting,  scream- 
ing, rearing.  They  had  never  before  seen  an 
animal  larger  than  the  tapir  of  their  forests  ;  and 
when,  simultaneously,  the  black-mouthed  cannon 
began  playing  into  their  ranks,  they  abandoned 
their  positions,  together  with  their  freedom  and 
independence,  and  fled.  Man  for  man,  with  their 
weak  shields  of  quilted-cotton,  they  had  been 
nearly  a  match  for  the  mailed  warriors  of  Cortez , 
brave  and  worthy  Indians  under  the  leadership  of 
valiant  chiefs,  true  patriots.  But  the  horses  and 
the  cannon  appalled  them,  as  later  they  appalled 
Montezuma  himself.  They  sued  for  peace,  and 
begged  pardon  of  their  conquerors.  After  Cor- 
tez's soldiers  had  retired,  hundreds  of  wounded 
creatures  —  Juanito's  countrymen  —  must  have 
crawled  into  these  forests  to  die  while  the  smoke 
of  their  burning  houses  floated  in  the  air. 

This  was  three  hundred  and  sixty  years  ago, 
and  since  that  time  the  natives  —  a  brave  people, 
John  knew  from  both  Bernal  Diaz  and  Prescott  — 
had  been  more  or  less  under  the  influence  of  the 
Spaniard.  Juanito  told  him,  however,  that  in 
their  religion  they  were  still  more  pagan  than 
Roman  Catholic,  still  dancing  savage  dances 
about  their  altars  and  sacred  images. 

Three  days  of  this  water-travelling,  halting  at 
night  for  a  camp,  and  pushing  on  rapidly  soon 
after  sunrise,  brought  them  to  a  point  where  the 
stream  became  narrow,  winding,  and  shallow. 
Here  it  was  determined  to  take  to  the  woods ;  the 
Indian  canoemen,  transforming  themselves  into 
carriers,  were  to  leave  the  boat  hidden  in  the 
rank  grass  (which  now  overhung  the  water)  and 
transport  their  effects  two  long  days  of  travel  still 
further  into  the  deep  and  mysterious  forest.  It 
had  seemed  forbidding  enough,  as  they  viewed  it 
from  the  boat ;  but  now  that  they  were  to  penetrate 
it,  and  wind  their  way  between  the  slimy  tree- 
trunks  and  amongst  the  dripping  growth  of  vines 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


and  parasitic  plants,  the  real  obstacles  of  the  jour- 
ney seemed  for  the  first  time  to  appear. 

Two  days  and  nights  they  were  buried  in  the 
gloom  of  the  great  forest;  they  camped  where 
darkness  overtook  them,  resuming  their  journey 
at  daybreak.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  third  day, 
worn  down  with  fatigue,  they  found  a  clearing  in 
the  wood,  through  which  their  trail  led.  The 
small  thatched  hut  was  surrounded  by  a  half  wild 
garden  thinly  planted  with  shrubs  that  John  had 
never  seen  before.  They  were  about  two  feet 
high,  some  of  them  bearing  small  reddish  flowers 


IN    TOKEN    THAT    HE   WAS    UNARMED. 

and  some  long  crooked   pods  containing   yellow 
seeds  ;  while  all  had  curious  winged  leaves. 

The  owner  of  the  clearing  soon  appeared,  and 
was  surprised  at  seeing  strangers,  and  a  white  man 
amongst  them.  But  he  invited  them  in  and  set 
about  preparing  a  meal.  John  questioned  him, 
through  his  own  Indians,  as  to  the  strange  shrub 
in  the  garden,  and  was  told  that  it  was  a  dye-stuff. 
They  gave  him  its  Aztec  name,  Xiuhquilipitzahuac, 
and  told  him  it  grew  wild  throughout  Tabasco, 
Chiapas,  and  Yucatan.  After  puzzling  over  it 
some  time,  it  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that  it  was 


indigo,  a  native  plant  of  the  country,  cultivated  and 
in  use  by  the  aborigines  before  the  Conquest. 
This  indigo  has  several  species,  represented  in 
both  hemispheres,  which  produce  the  famous  dye 
known  to  the  ancients  of  Egypt  and  India;  the 
Mexican  species  being  known  as  Indigofera  anil. 

This  clearing  in  the  forest,  letting  in  the  sun- 
light amongst  trees  that  would  have  been  unnoticed 
in  the  general  gloom  of  the  thick  woods,  brought 
to  light  many  species,  among  them  mahogany  and 
rosewood.  One  tree  which  our  young  naturalist 
noticed,  growing  among  the  rocks,  with  a  large 
trunk,  straggling  branches,  and  fragrant  flowers 
of  lovely  red,  proved  to  be  the  rare  Brazil-wood 
(Caesalpina  Brasiliensis)  the  heart  of  which  not 
only  furnishes  a  rich  red  dye,  but  is  susceptible 
of  high  polish.  This  poor  Indian,  indeed,  was 
surrounded  by  precious  woods  that,  on  the  coast, 
would  have  made  his  fortune,  but  here  were  not 
worth  the  cutting.  The  crowning  proof  of  the  worth- 
lessness  of  these  rare  and  beautiful  woods  when 
far  from  a  market,  was  found  in  the  Indian's  hog- 
pen, for  it  was  of  rosewood. 

The  Indian  himself  was  insensible  to  the  won- 
der his  useless  riches  excited,  and  never  looked 
up  from  his  hospitable  labor.  When  this  was 
done,  he  invited  John  and  Juanito  to  sit  down  on 
a  mahogany  log,  and  eat.  He  answered  briefly  all 
questions,  but  never  once  asked  of  the  strangers 
whence  they  had  come,  where  they  were  going,  or 
why  they  had  paid  him  this  unexpected  visit. 

"  Did  you  notice  the  Indian,  when  he  passed  us 
the  water-gourd  ? "  asked  Juanito  of  John.  "  Did 
you  mark  how  he  clasped  his  left  hand  with  the 
right,  and  bowed  low,  as  he  gave  it  to  you  ? " 

"Yes.  What  did  he  mean  by  it?  I  thought  it 
a  peculiar  performance." 

"He  meant  nothing  more  than  his  ancestors 
had  taught  him ;  it  is  an  ancient  custom.  It  sig- 
nifies that  he  is  your  servant,  your  most  humble 
senridor;  and  he  clasps  his  hands  together — the 
wrist  of  one  with  the  hand  of  the  other  —  that  you 
may  see  he  has  no  weapon  ready  to  stab  you  with. 
He  belongs  to  a  most  peaceful  tribe ;  but  they 
were  not  always  so  peaceful.  Once  was,  when  they 
fought  with  the  Spaniards,  and  they  were  hard  to 
be  subdued.  Even  when  they  were  their  servants, 
they  were  rebellious,  and  dangerous.  So,  their 
masters  ordered  that  whenever  they  came  near 
them  they  should  clasp  their  hands  together,  or 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


hold  them  out,  in  token  that  they  were  unarmed." 

"  He  differs  from  our  Indians,  in  many  ways," 
said  John.  "  He  seems  to  belong  to  a  new  tribe." 

"  Yes,  and  it  shows  that  we  have  nearly  reached 
the  end  of  our  foot-march,  Little  Master,  and  are 
near  the  great  hacienda  the  judge  told  us  of,  where 
we  get  horses.  This  man  is  a  Zoque,  belonging 
to  a  tribe  living  on  the  skirts  of  the  hills  we  seek 
to  penetrate.  Let  me  question  him. 

The  Indian  seemed  surprised.  "  Why,  maestros, 
you  are  even  there ;  a  day's  march  further  shows 
you  el  hacienda  grande" 

"  Are  there  horses  there  ?  Can  we  find  caballos 
for  a  journey  over  the  hills  ? " 

"Caballos  !  hay  millones,  maestros ;  millones !" 

"  Let  us  go  on  at  once,"  urged  John.  "  I  am  anx- 
ious to  get  astride  a  horse  and  find  this  great  and 
gloomy  forest  behind  me." 

But  Juanito  objected.  It  was  late  in  the  day; 
he  thought  it  better  to  stop  with  the  Indian,  and 
make  the  trip  by  daylight.  "Juanito  know  this 
land  best,"  he  said  proudly.  He  yielded,  however, 
to  John's  arguments.  Giving  the  hospitable  Indian 
a  silver-piece,  they  were  about  to  depart,  when  he 
stopped  them. 

"  The  sehores  had  better  not  camp  in  the  forest. 
Here  is  the  cabin  of  their  servant;  let  them  take 
and  occupy  it,  he  will  himself  give  it  for  their  use 
solely.  In  the  forests'  are  serpents  —  muchos  ser- 
pientes  —  more  than  a  rod  in  length  ;  and  los  tigres 
which  devour  all  travellers  by  night." 

"  The  Zoque  speaks  truly,"  said  Juanito ;  "  the 
forest  ahead  of  us,  as  it  is  higher  up,  holds  more  of 
wild  beasts  ;  it  is  better  to  stop,  Little  Master." 

But  John  laughed  and  shouldered  his  rifle. 
Juanito,  with  a  flash  of  wrath  from  his  black  eyes, 
took  up  his  and,  motioning  the  Indian  carriers  to 
follow  them,  strode  into  the  wood.  After  two 
hours'  tramp  they  entered  an  opening,  where  a  lit- 
tle stream  flowed  beneath  some  giant  trees.  It 
seemed  a  good  place  for  a  camp,  and  they  threw 
down  their  burdens.  A  fire  was  built,  chocolate 
was  boiled,  and  as  darkness  descended  they  were 
ready  for  the  hammocks  already  stretched  between 
the  trees,  when  Juanito  said,  "Juan  hopes  Little 
Master  may  wake  on  the  morrow." 

"O,"  laughed  John,  "these  are  not  my  first 
nights  by  a  forest  fire.  You  forget  my  experi- 
in  Yucatan." 


Those  experiences  in  Yucatan  !  Again  the  tale 
was  told  for  the  Mexican  lad,  and  again  they  dis- 
cussed the  plan  of  a  forced  return  to  the  Silver 
City.  Then  they  reverted  to  the  lost  gold  mines 
of  Montezuma,  and  speculated  upon  the  chances 
of  finding  the  book  of  Cortez.  "  I  mentioned  the 
book  to  the  judge,"  said  John,  "  but  though  he 
has  a  fair  library  himself,  he  had  never  seen  this 
volume.  He  had  heard,  however,  of  it,  in  the 
library  of  the  Institute  at  Vera  Cruz  ;  and  if  it 
should  seem  absolutely  necessary  we  could  make 
a  journey  there  and  read  it." 

"  It  might  save  us  time,  then,"  said  Juanito. 
"  Who  can  tell  ?  Juanito  can  lead  to  the  region 
of  gold,  but  he  may  be  months  seeking  the  mine's 
mouth.  Yet  that  too  Juanito  can  do." 

John  lay  long  awake,  looking  up  into  the  leafy 
canopy  overhead,  a  covering  so  dense  and  dark 
that  no  portion  of  the  sky  could  be  seen.  His 
thoughts  went  back  to  his  first  meeting  with  the 
boy.  He  admired  his  courage  and  pride,  and  ad- 
mitted that  there  must  be  great  native  goodness  in 
him  —  some  drop  of  Donna  Marina's  generous 
blood  —  to  survive  the  base,  hard  treatment  of  the 
past  ten  years.  He  would  do  all  in  his  power  re- 
develop his  better  qualities  and  to  shape  his  future.. 

With  this  renewed  resolution,  John  endeavored 
to  shut  his  eyes  for  sleep  ;  but  they  persistently 
fastened  upon  a  bright  thing,  like  a  diamond,  glis- 
tening in  the  tree  above  ;  it  might  have  been  a 
drop  of  water  ;  but  it  glittered  more  brightly  mo- 
ment by  moment  and  seemed  to  move  slightly  as 
now  his  steady  eyes  regarded  it.  He  could  even 
believe,  at  last,  this  diamond  drop  to  be  set  in  a 
round  and  glistening  head,  which  presently  length- 
ened itself  into  a  dark  and  sinuous  body,  winding 
about  the  thick  branches  of  the  tree  in  countless 
convolutions.  But  now  an  oppressive  sense  of 
sleep  long  deferred  asserted  its  claims,  weighed 
his  eyelids  down,  and  he  closed  them,  at  last,  and 
slumbered  heavily. 

Had  he  remained  awake  he  would  have  seen 
the  diamond  disappear,  the  convolutions  separate, 
and  again  combine,  the  dark  body  glide  lower  and 
lower.  He  saw  nothing,  however;  and  knew 
nothing,  until  wakened  by  a  sense  of  suffocation. 
Then  he  shouted  hoarsely,  as  he  struggled  to  free 
himself  from  the  slowly-compressing  folds  that 
enwrapped  him  :  "  Juanito  !  Juanito  !  " 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

(Author  of  "  The  Silver  City.") 


CHAPTER  V. 


FOREST,    CAMP,    AND    SADDLE. 

JUANITO  ! "  The  cry  was  half  stifled,  but  the 
young  Indian  heard  it,  and  leaped  from  his 
hammock.  The  carriers  also  sprang  up  and 
darted  towards  the  spot  indicated  by  the  voice. 
It  was  so  dark  they  could  scarce  distinguish  the 
writhing  bulk  of  the  boa  from  the  human  form  it 
had  enclosed,  and  they  hurriedly  lighted  torches 
at  the  smoldering  embers  of  the  fire.  They  were 
not  startled  by  the  sight  that  then  met  them,  for 
they  lived  in  a  land  of  serpents ;  but  they  uttered 
cries  of  sympathy  for  el  capitan,  as  he  lay,  help- 
less, motionless,  within  that  horrid  coil.  The 
weight  of  the  boa  had  dragged  one  end  of  the 
hammock  to  the  ground,  and  John  was  entangled 
in  its  meshes,  as  well  as  held  fast  by  the  serpent 
which  raised  its  head  when  the  Indians  approached, 
and  opened  its  flexible  jaws  as  if  to  engulf  its 
prey  at  once.  There  was  no  time  to  lose,  and 
they  lost  none,  but  with  their  great  forest  knives 
hacked  at  head  and  tail  until  the  proud  crest 
•drooped  and  the  scaly  coils  loosened.  Juanito 
had  guided  the  Indians,  fearlessly  seizing  the  sup- 
ple neck  and  endeavoring  to  drag  the  head  away 
irom  such  close  contact  with  his  master's  face. 
Now  extricating  John's  senseless  figure,  with  the 
help  of  the  Indians  he  bore  it  to  the  bank  of  the 
•stream. 

John  proved  to  be  not  severely  injured,  how- 
ever, though  sprained  and  bruised,  and  he  sat  up 
with  his  men  the  rest  of  the  night  about  the  camp- 
fire,  not  caring  to  seek  the  hammock  again,  and  at 
the  first  signs  of  daylight  they  turned  their  backs 
upon  the  tragic  spot  and  took  up  the  line  of  march 
for  the  hacienda.  It  was  slow  and  painful  march- 
ing to  John,  at  least,  but  he  bore  it  in  silence, 
realizing  that  his  bruises  and  sprains  had  been 
•caused  by  his  own  obstinacy  in  refusing  to  listen 
to  advice,  a  fact  upon  which  Juanito  generously 
forbore  to  comment. 


At  noon,  they  emerged  upon  the  skirts  of  a 
clearing,  and  a  vast  plain  lay  before  them,  green 
with  springing  grass  and  dotted  in  every  direction 
with  horses  and  cattle.  Far  off,  in  the  midst  of 
this  plain,  they  could  see  the  white  walls  of  the 
hacienda  to  which  they  had  been  directed.  This 
they  reached  about  sunset,  approaching  its  great 
walls  with  feelings  of  joy  and  relief,  for  they  had 
good  reason  to  expect  shelter  and  food,  as  Juanito 
assured  them  that  no  person  was  ever  yet  turned 
away  from  a  Mexican  farmhouse  when  in  search 
of  either. 

They  were  not  disappointed;  they  were  over- 
come, in  truth,  by  their  reception.  Halting  on 
the  flags  of  the  broad  veranda,  they  sent  in  by  a 
mozo  (or  man-servant)  the  letter  given  them  by 
the  Mexican  judge  at  Minatitlan.  It  seemed  but 
a  moment,  and  that  the  mozo  had  had  hardly  time 
to  traverse  the  hall,  before  the  haciendado  ap- 
peared, the  letter  in  his  hand,  and  hastened 
toward  them  with  beaming  face. 

"  Is  it  the  Senor  Norte  that  I  address  ?  "  he  said, 
holding  out  his  hand,  and  then  embracing  John, 
throwing  both  arms  about  him,  first  with  his  head 
over  one  shoulder,  then  over  the  other,  and  all  the 
time  patting  him  on  the  back  with  both  hands  and 
pouring  forth  inquiries  after  his  health  and  the 
health  and  welfare  of  his  friends  at  Minatitlan  — 
this  was  John's  first  experience  of  a  Mexican  wel- 
come. Juanito  received  only  a  pat  on  the  shoul- 
ders. 

They  followed  Don  Augustino  within  —  that  was 
his  name  —  Don  Augustino  Diaz  del  Campo,  as 
he  told  them  with  many  a  wave  of  his  hand,  and 
adding  with  his  hand  on  his  heart,  "  servidor  de 
ustedes  —  your  humble  servant,  whose  house  is  en- 
tirely at  your  disposal,  and  all  there  is  in  it  —  mi 
casa  esta  muy  d  en  disposition,  senores,  y  todo  que  lo 
contiene." 

This  fine  announcement  turned  out  to  be  no  idle 
Spanish  compliment  either.  A  bountiful  dinner 
was  soon  spread  before  his  guests  by  Don  Augus- 
tino ;  a  dozen  courses,  ending  with  frijoles,  or 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


beans  of  the  country,  and  coffee,  from  his  own 
plantation.  Then,  seeing  that  they  were  exceed- 
ing weary,  he  sent  them  off  to  bed,  with  a  hearty 
buenas  noches,  declaring  that  though  he  was  on  the 
point  of  perishing  for  news  from  the  coast  he 
would  wait  till  the  morrow. 

Their  sleep  was  of  the  soundest,  even  though 
John  soon  dreamed  himself  into  a  conflict  with  a 
boa-constrictor,  and  awoke  two  or  three  times, 
bathed  in  perspiration,  and  with  a  choking  sensa- 
tion. The  morning  found  them  refreshed,  and 
they  appeared  on  the  veranda  just  as  Don  Augus- 
tino  rode  up  on  a  powerful  horse  from  making  the 
rounds  of  his  plantation  —  or  rather,  from  receiv- 
ing the  reports  of  his  overseers.  Coffee  was 
brought  them,  and  then  it  took  half  the  day  to 
satisfy  Don  Augustino  with  news,  for  he  had  seen 
no  white  man  from  the  coast  in  nearly  a  twelve- 
month ;  and  had  not  been  off  his  hacienda  in  twice 
that  length  of  time. 

This  was  our  New  Englander's  first  view  of  a  ha- 
cienda outside  of  books.  As  he  talked  with  Don 
Augustino,  he  looked  around  him  with  interest. 
The  house  was  of  stone,  long,  low,  massive,  with  a 
broad  veranda  on  two  sides,  and  divided  into 
numerous  great,  bare,  cool  rooms.  At  a  respectful 
distance  an  immense  wall  surrounded  it,  so  high 
that  nobody  could  climb  over,  so  strong  that 
nothing  much  short  of  an  earthquake  could  shake 
it  down,  and  so  white  that  you  could  hardly  look 
at  it  when  the  sun  shone  on  it.  A  great  gateway 
gave  entrance  to  the  space  within  by  day,  but  at 
night  a  barred  and  bolted  gate  closed  out  all  in- 
truders. Under  the  shelter  of  the  wall  within  were 
the  lowly  huts  of  the  peones,  the  laborers,  nomi- 
nally servants,  but  in  reality  the  slaves  of  the  pro- 
prietor. Yet  they  seemed  contented,  these  swarms 
of  Indians  who  labored  for  Don  Augustino,  and 
were,  perhaps,  willing  to  be  in  debt,  so  long  as 
they  were  never  called  upon  for  payment  in  any- 
thing except  the  labor  of  their  hands.  The  haci- 
enda seemed  as  strongly  built  as  if  intended  for  a 
fortress,  and  Don  Augustino  assured  him  that  it 
was  considered  necessary  as  Mexico  was  a  land 
of  pronunciamientos — or  revolutions,  and  that  any 
day  a  revolutionary  chief  might  appear  before  the 
walls  and  demand  heavy  tribute.  The  Don  took 
this  state  of  affairs  lightly,  however ;  and  he  con- 
fessed to  having  more  acres  of  land  than  he  ha.d 
ever  visited,  and  more  cattle  and  horses  than  he 


had  ever  counted.  As  for  his  Indian  peones,  he 
took  no  note  of  their  number,  but  let  them  come 
and  go,  and  draw  their  rations  at  their  own  sweet 
will.  He  lived  alone  in  his  great  house,  and  he 
strongly  urged  the  young  men  to  stay  with  him, 
promising  to  give  them  horses  and  land  enough  to 
satisfy  the  most  covetous  and  to  enable  them  to 
pass  their  lives  in  ease. 

But  it  was  not  a  tempting  offer  to  either  John  or 
Juanito,  and  after  a  week  of  rest  and  pleasure  with 
the  kind  hariendado,  they  signified  their  intention  of 
departing.  They  had  already  mentioned  that  they 
should  need  horses  to  ride  and  a  mule  to  carry 
their  luggage,  and  Don  Augustino  had  promised 
to  supply  them.  He  took  them  out  into  the  corral 
now  and  bade  them  take  their  choice,  saying  they 
could  have  any  animals  they  fancied. 

The  corral  was  full  of  horses  and  colts,  a  hun- 
dred or  more,  and  it  was  a  difficult  matter  to 
select ;  so  the  major-domo  (the  farm  overseer) 
drove  up  two  beautiful  mares,  a  black  one  and  a 
chestnut,  saying  they  were  as  good  as  any  in  the 
herd,  and  these  were  saddled  and  picketed  in  the 
yard  in  front  of  the  house.  The  Don  took  a  quiet 
sort  of  pride  in  his  horses,  saying  that  many  of 
them  were  of  almost  pure  Arab  blood,  and  some 
of  them  descendants  of  those  magnificent  steeds 
brought  over  by  the  first  Spaniards  during  the 
early  years  of  the  Conquest.  John's  mare,  the 
chestnut,  was  carefully  trained  in  a  peculiar  trot 
called  the /tf.w<7,  in  which  the  rider  is  hardly  moved 
in  his  seat.  The  art  of  training  a  horse  to  this 
pace,  the  Don  explained,  came  down  from  the  con- 
quistadores  —  the  warriors  of  Cortez.  It  was  ac- 
quired by  means  of  a  peculiar  caparison  —  a  heavy 
leather  housing  called  the  anquera,  which  covered 
the  hips  and  descended  to  the  legs,  and  was  fringed 
with  sharp  nails  that  struck  the  horses  legs  when 
trotting  and  caused  the  mincing  gait  called  the 
passo.  A  rope  bridle  with  its  cruel  bit  was  slipped 
over  the  mare's  head  and  a  peaked  Mexican  sad- 
dle placed  on  its  back,  and  then  the  steed  was 
ready  for  the  rider.  Juanito's  horse  was  likewise 
equipped,  and  a  lasso  was  hung  to  each  saddle 
and  a  Mexican  blanket,  or  serape,  rolled  up  and 
strapped  behind  the  seat.  The  boys  hung  their 
carbines  at  the  side,  suspended  from  straps  in 
front  of  the  'pommels,  and  felt  fully  equipped  — 
gallant  young  conquistadores  themselves.  After  an 
experimental  gallop,  they  returned  to  the  house, 


i8 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


divested  the  horses  of  their  trappings,  and  selected 
their  mule. 

This  done,  John,  with  much  trepidation  —  for 
he  feared  they  had  taken  better  beasts  than  his 
means  would  allow  —  asked  Don  Augustino  how 
much  he  was  to  pay  for  this  outfit.  They  were  sit- 
ting on  the  veranda,  sipping  their  evening  choco- 
late, John  and  Juanito  one  side  the  table  and  Don 
Augustino  on  the  other.  He  looked  up,  as  John 


"Senor?" 

"  I  say  nothing ;  not  a  centaro ;  the  horses  are 
yours.  Caramba!  Such  a  fuss  over  two  horses 
and  a  mule  ! " 

"  But,  senor,  they  are  valuable,  and  so  are  their 
saddles  and  trappings." 

"  Caballos — I  have  a  thousand,  more  or  less; 
and  as  for  saddles — my  peones  can  make  me  more 
when  I  get  short." 


D6N   AUGUSTINO    ARRIVES    FROM    "  MAKING   THE    ROUNDS." 


asked,  and  frowned.  "  Did  el  Americano  expect  to 
pay  for  the  beasts  ? "  he  demanded. 

"I — I  meant  to,  of  course,  if — if  you  —  if  I 
have  money  enough." 

"  Then  you  have  not  money  enough,"  he  growled, 
looking  as  black  as  a  thunder-cloud. 

The  young  man's  heart  sank ;  he  feared  he  had 
made  a  great  mistake  in  accepting  such  fine  ani- 
mals ;  he  wished  he  had  taken  burros,  or  donkeys, 
since  they  were  almost  valueless. 

"But  how  much  ? "  he  persisted. 

"  Nothing ! " 


They  stared  at  him  in  astonishment,  until  he 
fairly  laughed  them  out  of  their  surprise  and  re- 
luctance. "  Senor  Juan  el  Norte,  you  are  giving 
me  a  bad  opinion  of  your  countrymen  ;  are  they 
all  beggars  in  your  country?  do  they  not  entertain 
the  stranger  as  the  Mexican  ?  " 

"  Rather  less  lavishly,"  answered  John. 

"  As  for  Juanito  here,  there  is  excuse,"  said 
the  Don,  with  a  half-sneer ;  "  he  was  brought  up 
on  the  coast,  where  everybody  suspects  everybody 
else,  and  where  hospitality  is  a  thing  they  have 
forgotten;  yet  he  ought  to  have  known  that  a 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


.great  haciendado  would  refuse  pay  for  three  paltry 
.caballos.  Still,"  added  he,  "as  you  want  to  repay 
me,  tell  me  fairly  where  you  are  going,  and  for 
what,  and  I  am  rewarded." 

"  Certainly,  senor,  we  would  have  done  so  long 
since.  You  had  but  to  ask,"  replied  John  with  a 
light  laugh.  "We  will  tell  you  without  reserve, 
for  we  may  never  return,  and  then  you  and  the 
Judge  could  institute  some  inquiries.  You  prob- 
ably have  heard  of  those  ancient  mines  that  are 
said  to  be  in  the  mountains  beyond  the  great 
forests  ?  Juanito  tells  me  the  tradition  is  general." 

"  Yes,  yes,  of  course.  I  have  heard  those  tales 
all  my  life  ;  but  what  consequence  ?  Indian  stories 
are  not  to  lean  upon.  No  one  cares  to  search." 

"  But  this  Indian  story  is  confirmed,"  said  John, 
partly  to  quiet  Juanito's  rising  wrath ;  "  the  con- 
quistadores  themselves  have  left  a  description  of 
the  country  and  the  mines  at  the  time  of  their 
discovery." 

"  So  ?  that  would  be  a  different  matter.  But 
have  you  seen  any  of  these  writings  ?  have  you 
them  with  you  ?  " 

"  No,  senor,  but  my  father  has  read  the  account 
by  Cortez  himself,  in  an  old,  old  manuscript  he 
once  found  in  Tabasco ;  and  he  told  me  of  a  vol- 
ume containing  the  accounts,  and  that  it  could  be 
found  in  the  archives  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  if 
nowhere  else." 

"  And  what  was  it  called,  Don  Juan  ?  what  was 
the  book  he  had  read  ?  " 

"  It  was  called  the  Letters  of  Cortez,  and  was 
printed  within  five  years  after  the  Conquest  —  the 
first  portion  of  it ;  one  of  the  oldest  books  in  Spain." 

"  Hold !  —  Cartas  de  Cortez, '  Letters  of  Cortez '  — 
where  have  I  seen  that  book  ?  Somewhere."  The 
haciendado  leaned  his  head  upon  his  hand  and  fell 
to  thinking,  shaking  his  head  negatively  as  remi- 
niscence after  reminiscence  came  up,  but  not  the 
right  one  ;  at  last  —  "I  have  it !  In  that  old  con- 
vent of  Santa  Cruz  ;  we  found  it  deserted ;  all  the 
monks  were  gone  ;  the  French  had  just  sacked 
it;  I  was  a  guerillero,  then  —  a  free-lance  —  fighting 
for  my  country.  We  strolled  through  the  clois- 
ters and  the  empty  halls,  and  in  the  library  we 
found  hundreds  of  books,  in  parchment  bindings 
and  vellum ;  most  of  them  were  religious  books, 
and  all  of  them  very  old.  But  one  took  my  fancy, 
and  that  was  this  very  book  you  mention — yes, 
the  Cartas  de  Cortez!" 


"  Did  you  take  it  ?  What  did  you  do  with  it  ? " 
his  listeners  eagerly  chimed  in  chorus. 

"  Did  I  take  it  ?     Of  course  I  did." 

"  But  what  became  of  it  ?  " 

"  As  to  what  became  of  it,  that  is  another  mat- 
ter. But  I  am  sure  I  brought  it  home  with  me.  I 
was  taken  by  the  title,  for  I  had  read  when  I  was 
a  boy  the  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Bernal  Diaz, 
one  of  the  captains  under  Cortez,  and  here  was 
the  same  story,"  told  by  the  great  captain  himself. 
Yes,  I  brought  it  home  with  other  books,  and 
I  believe  that  I  read  it,  and  now  I  certainly  do 
remember  something  said  about  some  mountain 
mines." 

"  O,  Senor  Augustino,  cannot  you  recollect  at 
all  what  was  said ;  where  they  were  located  ?  " 

"  No  ;  it  was  years  ago,  more  than  a  score.  But 
why  wrangle  here  when  the  old  book  itself  may 
be  around  to  tell  the  story." 

"  It  is  not  in  your  library,"  said  John,  "because 
I  looked  when  you  gave  me  permission  to  examine 
your  collection  of  books." 

"Let  us  ask  the  major-domo  out  there  if  he 
knows  of  any  books  lying  about.  Ho  !  Pedro  !  " 
The  overseer  hastened  to  his  side.  "  Pedro,  where 
are  those  old  books  we  brought  away  from  the 
convent,  now  twenty  years  ago? " 

"  Maria  Santissima  !  most  noble  master  ;  do  you 
expect  old  Pedro  to  keep  account  of  rubbish  ? 
And  has  not  the  cook  been  feeding  the  fires  with 
them  this  twelvemonth  past  ?  " 

"  You  rascal !  Do  you  mean  to  say  they  are 
gone  —  all  gone  ?  " 

"Sin  duda,  senor — without  a  doubt." 

Don  Augustino,  however,  took  the  young  men 
with  him  to  a  room  in  a  deserted  wing  of  the  great 
building. 

"  Alia  !  there  !  "  said  he,  pointing  to  a  heap  of 
papers  in  a  corner ;  "  if  it  is  yet  alive,  your  book 
will  be  there." 

The  boys  sprang  at  the  musty  pile.  They 
pulled  out,  one  after  another,  several  large  vol- 
umes of  old  religious  works,  which  comprised  all 
that  were  in  a  condition  to  be  handled.  They 
were  turning  away,  disappointed,  when  the  hacien- 
dado turned  over  a  mouldy  parchment-covered 
volume  that  had  but  half  its  leaves  remaining. 
He  stooped  with  an  exclamation  of  joy :  "  Here, 
what  is  this  ?  Cartas  de  Cortez,  or  my  eyes  deceive 
me.  Shake  the  dust  off  and  let's  see  ! " 


M O NTE Z  UMA 'S    GOLD    MINE S . 


John  and  Juanito  shouted,  for  it  was  the  very 
volume  that  within  the  last  few  weeks  they  had 
so  often  wished  to  see. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    RIVER    WITH    GOLDEN    SANDS. 

Leaf  by  leaf,  one  fragment  after  another  was 
exhumed  from  the  dusty  mass  until  the  old  book 
finally  lay  nearly  complete  on  the  floor  before 
them. 

"  Vamonos !  come  back  to  the  veranda,  and 
let  us  examine  the  treasure,"  said  the  owner. 
"  Don  Juan,  as  you  are  versed  in  history,  and  we 
poor  Mexicans  are  not,  you  shall  read  to  us. 
But  first,  if  you  know,  tell  us  something  about 
these  Cartas.  Why  were  they  written?" 

"  Of  course,  Don  Augustino,"  said  John,  "you 
are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  your  own 
country  sufficiently  to  know  that  Cortez  and  his 
companions  sailed  along  the  Mexican  coast,  in 
1519;  and  that  he  landed,  and  fought  his  way  up 
to  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  where,  on  an  island  in 
Lake  Tezcoco,  in  the  centre  of  the  great  valley, 
the  Aztecs  dwelt  in  their  beautiful  city  of  Tenoch- 
titlan.  They  were  numerous  and  powerful,  and 
ruled  by  the  great  king,  Montezuma,  who  received 
the  Spaniards  with  pomp  and  magnificence,  invit- 
ing them  into  the  city,  where  they  were  enter- 
tained in  the  palace  of  Axaycatl,  the  king  who 
had  preceded  Montezuma.  He  treated  them  like 
princes,  and  they  requited  his  generosity  by  mak- 
ing him  a  prisoner,  in  his  own  city.  An  insurrec- 
tion of  his  people  followed,  in  which  Montezuma 
was  slain,  and  in  which  the  Spaniards,  were  ex- 
pelled, with  great  slaughter.  This  was  in  1520; 
in  December  of  that  year  Cortez  came  back  with 
reinforcements,  invested  the  city  and  finally  cap- 
tured it,  after  completely  destroying  it  and  killing, 
it  is  estimated,  nearly  one  hundred  thousand 
Indians.  While  this  siege  and  conquest  was  going 
on,  at  intervals  of  peace,  Cortez  wrote  the  famous 
Letters,  which  we  have  here.  He  wrote  five,  but  we 
have  only  four,  as  the  first  is  lost.  The  second  is 
dated,  October  15,  1520,  and  was  printed  in  Spain, 
in  Seville,  October  8,  1522.  The  third  letter  was 
written  in  May,  1522,  and  printed  the  next  year; 
while  the  fourth  and  last  was  written  at  the  City 
of  Mexico,  in  October,  1524,  and  printed  in  Octo- 


ber, 1525.  So  you  see  they  are  very  ancient,  the 
oldest  of  them  having  been  produced  over  three 
hundred  and  sixty  years  ago.  Well,"  continued 
John,  "  it  was  with  the  events  mentioned  in  his  third 
letter,  that  Juanito  and  I  have  to  do.  In  this  he 
relates  the  capture  of  Montezuma,  and  the  ki'^'» 
generosity  in  throwing  open  to  them  cne  treasure- 
chambers.  All  this  golden  treasure,  the  tribute 
of  many  provinces,  the  savings  of  royalty  for  gen- 
erations, the  Spaniards  took ;  and  they  still  clam- 
ored for  more.  Then  Montezuma  offered  to  show 
them  whence  came  these  golden  stores." 

Here  John  turned  to  the  tattered  old  pages 
which  related  to  the  mines.  Juanito  was  fas- 
cinated by  the  prospect  of  having  his  statements 
confirmed  by  Cortez.  Don  Augustino  was  hardly 
less  interested.  He  himself  was  deeply  excited : 


"THIS  SEEMS   TO    BE   ALL   OF    IMPORTANCE,"   SAID   JOHN. 

When  I  discovered  that  Montezuma  was  fully  devoted  to 
your  highness  [he  is  writing  to  the  King  of  Spain]  I  re- 
quested that  he  would  point  out  to  me  the  mines  from 
which  gold  is  obtained. 

To  this  he  consented  with  the  greatest  readiness,  and 
immediately  sent  for  several  of  his  public  servants  and 
assigned  them  to  four  provinces,  two  to  each  province,  in 
which  he  said  the  gold  was  obtained,  and  I  deputed  two 
Spaniards  to  accompany  the  same  number  of  his  own  men. 

One  party  of  them  went  to  a  province  called  Cuzula, 
eighty  leagues  from  the  great  city  of  Tenochtitlan,  whose 
inhabitants  are  vassals  of  Montezuma,  where  they  were 
shown  three  rivers,  from  all  of  which  they  brought  me  spe- 
cimens of  gold,  of  good  quality.  Another  party  of  our 
envoys  went  to  a  province  called  Tamazulapa,  which  is 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


21 


seventy  leagues  from  the  great  city,  but  more  towards  the 
sea-coast.  They  brought  me  gold  (rich  gold)  from  a 
.great  river  that  passes  through  it.  The  other  party  visited 
a  region  beyond  this  river,  inhabited  by  a  people  speaking 
a  different  language  from  those  of  Culna,  and  called  Tenis; 
whose  chief  ruler  is  a  powerful  cacique.  His  territory  is 
situated  on  a  lofty  and  rugged  mountain  range,  and  his 
people,  inured  to  war,  fight  with  spears  twenty-five  to  thirty- 
five  palms  in  length.  He  is  independent  of  Montezuma, 
and  the  messengers  with  the  Spaniards  did  not  dare 
enter  this  province  until  they  had  requested  permission. 
The  cacique  answered  that  he  was  very  willing  the  Span- 
iards should  enter  the  province,  but  that  the  Culnas  must 
not  do  so,  as  they  were  his  enemies.  The  Spaniards  at 
first  feared  to  go  ;  but  finally  went,  and  were  well  received  by 
the  chief  and  his  people,  who  showed  them  seven  or  eight 
mines  in  which  gold  was  extremely  abundant,  and  they 
loaded  the  Spaniards  with  all  the  precious  metal  they  could 
carry.  And  Montezuma  caused  to  be  painted,  by  his  native 
artists,  a  chart  of  the  country,  painted  on  cloth,  on  which  the 
coast  was  delineated,  and  a  great  river,  called  by  the  natives 
Guazacualco.  The  governor  of  this  province  of  Guaza- 
cualco,  sent  messengers  to  me,  by  whom  he  transmitted 
jewels  of  gold,  skins  of  tigers,  feathers,  and  precious  stones. 

Here  John  paused,  and  turned  over  several 
pages. 

"  This  seems  to  be  all  of  importance  relating  to 
the  mines;  those  we  seek,  I  should  judge,  are  in 
that  province  that  was  ruled  over  by  the  fierce 
cacique.  He  never  allowed  the  Spaniards  to  re- 
turn to  the  province,  and  these  —  probably  the 
richest  gold  deposits  in  all  Mexico  —  have  ever 
since  remained  unknown  to  white  men."  He  was 
addressing  himself  as  much  as  his  companions. 

"  And  the  question,"  said  the  Don,  "  is  to  find 
the  exact  loca-lity  in  which  dwelt  that  fierce  cacique. 
Have  you  any  clue  ?  " 

"I  think,"  said  John,  refraining  from  any  refer- 
ence to  Juanito's  magic  roll,  "  that  we  will  first 
seek  to  reach  the  province  of  Tamazulapa,  through 
which  one  of  the  golden-sanded  streams  flowed, 
and  then  try  to  work  out  the  problem  from  the 
traditions  of  the  Indians  there." 

Don  Augustino  smiled  incredulously. 

"We  can  do  it,"  hotly  asserted  Juanito,  "now 
that  senorito  has  the  story  of  the  Indians  and 
that  of  the  great  captain,  and  finds  they  fit  to- 
gether. But,  Little  Master,  did  you  note  what  Cap- 
tain Cortez  says  of  the  river  we  have  sailed  up, 
and  the  Province  of  Guazacualco  ?  The  gov- 
ernor of  the  province,  as  he  calls  him  —  he  was  a 
king —  was  the  father  of  Malinche,  and  he  was  a 
friend  of  the  fierce  cacique.  Little  Master  can 


see  the  true  traditions  are  with  the  people  of  that 
province,  can  he  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  interrupted  the  Don,  "  and  part  of  his 
province  is  now  covered  by  the  hacienda  of  Tux- 
tlas,  and  I  have  heard  that  some  of  the  peones 
there  claim  to  be  the  descendants  of  that  '  King ' 
of  Guazacualco,  and  descendants  too  of  his 
daughter,  Malinche."  He  spoke  in  a  sneering 
tone,  as  though  he  had  little  belief  in,  and  less 
sympathy  for,  any  poor  Indian  peon. 

Juanito's  eyes  flashed  ominously,  but  he  re- 
strained his  passion.  He  had  refrained  from  any 
allusion  to  his  own  relationship  with  the  Indian 
princess,  and  he  now  shot  John  a  warning'  look, 
fearing,  perhaps,  he  might  betray  the  secret  of  his 
parentage. 

"  Well,  my  friends,"  said  the  hariendado,  "  you 
are  welcome  to  the  book  ;  take  it  with  you,  and 
may  it  help  you.  Still  don't  pin  too  much  your 
faith  on  travellers'  tales  and  don't  parley  with 
the  Indians.  You  insist  upon  going  to-morrow? 
Yes?  Good-night,  then;  I  will  have  you  called 
early.  Good-night ! " 

The  next  morning  saw  them  off  at  an  early  hour. 
The  noble  Don  bade  them  final  adieu,  the  "  carga 
mule  "  took  her  place  at  the  head  of  the  line  where 
it  moved  sedately  along  ahead  of  the  horses,  with- 
out either  bit  or  bridle,  and  so  their  journey  into 
the  hills  had  begun.  The  little  mule  always  lead- 
ing the  van,  they  filed  away  across  the  plain, 
finally  losing  sight  of  the  hacienda,  and  entering 
the  forests  of  the  foothills. 

A  different  scenery  awaited  them  here,  entirely 
tropical  in  character,  where  the  rank  vegetation 
.of  the  lowlands  resounded  with  the  cries  of  par- 
rots and  trogons.  Two  or  three  leagues'  ride 
through  this  luxuriant  vegetation  brought  them 
to  the  banks  of  a  dark  and  rapid-flowing  river. 
This  they  had  to  ford.  The  current  was  swift, 
but  their  horses  were  good  swimmers,  and  boldly 
plunged  in,  led  by  the  carga  mule,  who  seemed  to 
spurn  the  water  with  her  little  hoofs.  "  Look  at 
Lorita"  said  the  arriera,  admiringly,  " she  can  do 
everything  but  talk ;  she  is  as  bright  as  a  parrot, 
and  that  is  why  I  called  her  Lorita." 

A  dug-out  floated  here,  on  the  other  bank,  and 
a  long,  peaked-roofed  hut  of  grass  stood  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest.  Dripping  from  their  swim,  the 
young  horsemen  presented  themselves  at  the  door- 
way and  said  buenas dias  to  its  inmates;  but  as  the 


22 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


men,  half  a  dozen  savage-looking  Mestizos,  were 
in  a  high  state  of  intoxication,  they  did  not  stop. 
They  rode  on  farther,  and  then  halted  at  a  curve 
of  the  stream  and  tied  their  horses.  Taking  a 
small  shallow  pan  from  the  saddle-bag,  John  waded 
into  the  stream  and  dipped  up  some  sand.  Juanito 
watched  approvingly:  "You  are  right,  senorito, 
this  rio  flows  direct  from  the  golden  country ;  if 
we  find  gold  in  these  sands,  then  we  know  we 
must  find  gold  at  its  head." 

John  came  up  on  the  bank  and  whirled  the  pan 
around  swiftly,  pouring  out  the  larger  particles  of 
gravel,  little  by  little,  and  dipping  up  fresh  quan- 
tities of  water,  until  only  the  finest  of  the  sand 
remained  in  the  dish.  The  boys  both  bent  over 
it  anxiously ;  then  carefully  John  whirled  it  again 
with  a  peculiar  motion,  again  throwing  out  the 
water  and  lightest  sand,  till  but  a  minute  portion 
was  left  in  the  pan.  It  needed  only  a  glance  this 
time  to  detect  numerous  glittering  particles,  yellow 
and  sparkling !  John's  face  was  radiant.  Juanito, 
forgetting  his  usual  caution,  exclaimed  outright : 

"£s  oro  !  —  It  is  the  yellow  gold  !  " 

"  It's  onward  now,"  said  John,  and  with  light 
hearts  they  mounted  their  horses  and  rode  away. 

By  and  by  they  crossed  the  margin  of  the  low 
country,  the  tierra  caliente,  and  now  they  entered  a 
cooler  region,  and  higher,  the  tierra  templada,  or 
temperate  zone.  Here  vegetation  differed  again, 
and  they  rode  through  beautiful  groves  of  oak, 
always  climbing  higher  and  higher. 

So  the  days  of  their  journey  sped,  a  tropic  pan- 
orama of  forest  and  jungle  and  cliff,  broken  by 
sudden  showers,  and  varied  by  glimpses  of  unin- 
habited villages,  and  by  nights  in  decaying  and 
deserted  cabins.  And  now  they  had  come  to  a 
region  where  John  was  constantly  upon  the  alert, 
dismounting  and  making  long  forays  into  vales 
and  up  heights,  often  consulting  the  old  volume  of 
Cortez's  Letters  which  they  had  found  at  the  haci- 
enda. From  its  pages  he  knew  that  if  they  were 
upon  the  right  trail,  there  should  be  somewhere  in 
this  vicinity  the  traces  of  a  ruined  fort ;  and  at 
last  one  day  they  did  find  a  small  section  of  bro- 
ken wall  —  that  and  nothing  more.  But  from  that 
moment  John  felt  confident.  "Without  doubt," 


he  declared  to  Juanito,  "  we  are  on  the  border-land 
of  the  fierce  Chinanticos,  those  strange  savages- 
who  met  the  messengers  of  Montezuma  with  gi- 
gantic spears  and  so  barred  the  entrance  to  their 
territory,  though  they  allowed  the  Spaniards  to  go 
through,  and  showed  them  such  treasures  of  gold 
as  have  never  been  discovered  since." 

"And  the  golden-sanded  river,"  broke  in  Juan- 
ito, "  has  its  rise  in  this  very  region.  I  have  heard 
my  mother  say  so,  and  I  hope  senorito  is  not  going 
to  abandon  it  entirely.  Little  Master  knows  there 
is  gold  in  the  river." 

"  Never  fear,  chiquito"  said  John  playfully,  "  we- 
can  return  ;  but  let  us  first  find  the  greater  treas- 
ure beyond." 

That  afternoon  another  black  storm-cloud  burst 
over  them  drenching  them  quickly,  and  making  the 
clayey  trail  precarious  footing.  Just  as  the  cloud 
discharged  upon  them  its  huge  volume  of  water 
they  were  nearing  the  brink  of  a  ravine  which 
they  must  descend,  and  then  climb  the  opposite 
bank  before  reaching  the  village  beyond,  which 
they  could  see  —  their  destination  for  the  night. 
The  descent  could  only  be  made  over  some  thirty 
steps  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  of  the  prec- 
ipice. Lorita  (the  carga  mule)  descended  jaunt- 
ily, until  half-way  down,  when  she  suddenly 
halted,  sniffed  suspiciously  at  the  step  ahead  of 
her,  and  tried  to  re-ascend.  The  rocky  pathway 
was  wide  enough  for  but  one  beast,  and  they 
were  descending  single  file.  By  the  mule's  action. 
they  were  crowded  back  and  the  horses,  fright- 
ened, began  to  prance  about.  "  Hola,  mula!" 
shouted  the  arriero,  "  anda! — go  on  !  " 

But  "mula"  refused  to  go,  and  pushed  back 
against  Juanito's  mare,  who  raised  herself  on  her 
hind  feet  and  came  down  against  the  poor  crea- 
ture with  such  force  as  to  topple  her  over  the  cliff ! 
A  cry  of  horror  rose  —  for  the  wall  below  appeared 
a  sheer  descent  —  hushed  at  once,  as  Juanito's 
horse  backed  her  hind  feet  over  the  wall,  fell,  re- 
covered herself,  and  hung,  by  her  fore-feet  only, 
clinging  against  the  escarpment.  Even  the  trained 
steed  rode  by  John  felt  the  horror  of  the  occasion 
and  seemed  determined  to  follow  after  its  com- 
panion. 


(TO    BE    CONTINUED.) 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

;  Author  of  "  The  Silver  City."  } 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    TRAIL    THROUGH    INDIAN    LAND. 

THE  arriero  was  safe  because  he  was  in  the 
rear;  fortunately,  too,  he  had  a  cool  head. 
He  at  once  uncoiled  the  riata  —  the  lasso  —  car- 
ried over  his  shoulders,  and  threw  it  down  to 
Juanito,  who  caught  it.  Passing  the  other  end 
around  the  trunk  of  a  tree  growing  on  the  bank 
above,  the  arriero  then  signalled  the  boy  to  cast 
himself  loose  from  the  saddle.  This  he  did, 
firmly  grasping  the  noose  of  the  riata,  and  the 
agile  arriero  drew  him  easily  over  the  brink  and  up 
back  to  the  ledge. 

Meanwhile,  John's  horse  was  uneasily  pacing 
the  narrow  ridge,  in  imminent  danger  of  shying 
over  the  precipice  ;  but  the  arriero  slipped  by  her, 
grasped  her  bridle,  and  conducted  horse  and 
rider  down  the  path  to  a  broader  shelf.  John 
then  slipped  from  the  saddle  and  ran  back  to  the 
aid  of  Juanito,  who  was  holding  the  head  of  his 
mare,  and  encouraging  her  with  soothing  murmurs. 
The  ever-present  lasso  hung  from  the  horn  of  the 
saddle  ;  reaching  it,  John  uncoiled  it  and  got  it 
around  the  tree  above.  Joining  together  the  two 
other  riatas,  these  were  swung  in  the  form  of  an 
immense  loop  under  the  quarters  of  the  horse, 
and  one  end  also  attached  to  the  tree.  Then,  with 
John  at  the  other,  the  arriero  hauling  at  the  line 
fastened  to  the  saddle,  and  Juanito  at  the  horse's 
head,  the  grand  effort  was  made.  The  creature 
seemed  to  understand  every  word,  every  motion, 
and  looked  beseechingly  into  her  owner's  eyes,  as 
though  to  ask  him  to  hurry  as  her  feet  were  slip- 
ping and  her  limbs  trembling  with  the  strain. 

"Now,  Bomta!"  whispered  Juanito  in  her  ear. 
"Up!" 

"All  together!  "  shouted  John. 

"  Anda  /"  cried  the  arriero.  The  mare  herself 
made  a  mighty  effort,  her  hoof  smiting  against  the 
cliff  and  striking  fire  from  its  flinty  surface ;  the 
young  men  strained  every  nerve  and  muscle  at 


the  ropes,  and  in  another  minute  the  little  beauty 
stood  upon  the  ledge,  trembling,  reeking  with  per- 
spiration, yet  safe. 

Juanito  loosened  the  saddle-girths  and  led  her 
down  to  the  bed  of  the  ravine,  where  the  white 
mare  received  her  with  a  grateful  neigh  of  recog- 
nition. Leaving  him  to  care  for  the  horses,  John 
and  the  miilero  threaded  their  way  back  down  to 
the  point  where  the  mule  had  fallen,  expecting  to 
discover  its  mangled  remains.  They  reached  the 
place  where  she  must  have  struck,  in  her  descent, 
some  ten  feet  below  the  trail,  but  there  was  no 
sign  of  her  there  —  only  a  little  hair  upon  the  edge 
of  a  bowlder  and  a  streak  of  blood  here  and  there. 
They  looked  at  each  other  in  amazement.  The 
mulero  raised  his  tattered  hat  and  scratched  his 
head.  "Senor,"  he  said,  in  awe-stricken  tones, 
"  do  you  think  anything  has  flown  away  with 
mulita?"  He  gazed  up  in  the  air,  as  though  ex- 
pecting to  find  her  sailing  towards  the  sky ;  but 
John  looked  farther  down  the  slope,  and  there  saw 
the  recreant  mulita  placidly  nibbling  the  leaves 
of  the  bushes,  which  had  partially  concealed  her. 
The  arriero  was  almost  crazy  with  delight,  darting 
at  the  little  beast  and  hugging  her  round  the  neck, 
while  she  poured  into  his  ears  a  most  dolorous 
bray. 

John  was  surprised  to  discover  the  carga  un- 
disturbed by  the  fall,  though  the  mule  must  have 
landed  upon  it  in  her  fall  from  the  cliff ;  but  the 
arriero  resented  any  imputation  that  anything 
terrestrial  could  have  disturbed  a  carga  of  his 
packing,  anyway.  Nothing  but  omnipotent  force, 
he  declared,  could  detach  that  bale  of  luggage 
from  the  mule,  without  first  cutting  the  girths. 
With  great  difficulty  they  extricated  the  mule  from 
her  perilous  position,  and  after  a  long  delay  joined 
Juanito  at  the  brookbed. 

Without  further  adventure,  they  reached  the 
village  ahead  of  them,  just  before  dark,  and  ar- 
rived before  the  door  of  the  casa  municipal,  or 
town-house,  in  a  dripping  condition.  This  was  the 
first  inhabited  Indian  village  they  had  entered. 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


They  found  but  one  white  man  in  it  —  the  shrewd- 
est^/* de  razon  they  had  yet  met.  This  Mexican 
term  means  a  "man  of  reason,"  of  intelligence,  and 
is  applied  by  the  Indians  exclusively  to  white  men, 
and  is  a  relic  of  the  days  of  Spanish  dominion. 
So,  when  John  rode  up  to  the  door  of  the  casa  and 
inquired  if  there  were  any  gente  de  razon  in  the 
place,  he  was  instantly  understood  by  the  assem- 
bled Indians  as  asking  for  a  white  man,  and  sev- 
eral of  them  instantly  replied,  "Si,  senor,  uno  solo 
— Yes,  sir,  one  only." 

"  Then  I  would  see  him,"  he  said,  thanking  them 
for  the  information,  and  they  hastened  in  to  ac- 
quaint their  "  man  of  reason "  of  the  arrival  of 
strangers.  It  seemed  to  be  a  noteworthy  event, 
this  visit  of  a  white  man  to  their  village,  and  many 
scores  of  Indians  came  crowding  around.  They 
appeared  to  be  moved  by  curiosity  only,  and  were 
polite  and  attentive  to  his  requests  and  wants. 

When  the  only  "  reasonable  man  "  of  the  region 
appeared,  he  proved  to  be  a  very  hospitable  one 
and  at  once  invited  them  to  dismount,  directing  the 
mulero  to  take  off  the  saddles  and  packs,  and  pile 
them  up  on  his  veranda,  and  asked  them  into  the 
house.  When  he  heard  of  the  trail  they  had  come 
over,  and  the  country  they  had  ridden  through, 
he  declared  his  wonder  and  admiration  in  hearty 
terms.  He  proved  indeed  to  be  the  jolliest  of 
hosts,  a  man  given  to  politics,  holding  an  office 
under  the  Mexican  government  — that  uijefe poli- 
tico—  or  political  chief,  of  the  district.  It  some- 
how transpired  what  the  young  men's  mission  was, 
and  the  worthy  man  appeared  greatly  concerned 
for  their  safety,  repeatedly  warning  them  against 
going  farther  into  the  country  of  the  Tamazula- 
pans  —  the  Indians  who  guarded  the  secret  of  the 
ancient  mines. 

He  readily  admitted  that  the  mines  existed  and 
were  in  that  region,  for  he  had  heard  so  all  his  life 
long ;  but  he  added  that  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration the  inhabitants  of  that  tract  had  sworn  to 
defend  the  secret  with  their  lives;  they  had  a 
hundred  rifles  with  which  a  band  of  trained  men 
weekly  drilled.  "  They  have  sworn  eternal  enmity 
to  all  miners,"  said  he,  "  because  they  have  heard 
what  ruin  and  destruction  miners  have  brought 
upon  other  regions.  And  their  traditions  tell 
them  that  all  the  troubles  of  their  race  came  from 
disclosing  to  strangers  the  secrets  of  their  wealth." 

Mentally   acquiescing    in    the    wisdom   of    the 


Indians,  in  thus  keeping  foreigners  out  of  their 
gold-fields,  John  yet  laughingly  declared  that  he 
should  not  think  of  abandoning  the  search  until 
the  armed  men  resisted  his  entrance  into  the  ter- 
ritory. 

The  travellers  again  took  to  the  saddle,  next 
morning,  leaving  their  host  uttering  many  a  dismal 
prediction.  Their  trail  now  led  over  hills  and 
mountains.  They  were  entering  into  the  country 
of  the  Serranos  —  the  mountaineers  —  descend- 
ants of  a  long  line  of  unconquered  ancestors,  a 
people  who  long  resisted  the  encroachments  of 
Montezuma  and  his  Aztecs,  and  had  beaten  back 
the  soldiers  of  Cortez  himself.  All  these  hills 
were  inhabited ;  the  crests  and  ridges  were  cov- 
ered with  majestic  oak-trees  and  their  sides  with 
rich  gardens. 

They  zigzagged  up  and  down  narrow  trails  for 
days,  crossing  many  streams,  and  riding  through 
several  villages  buried  in  seas  of  verdure,  in  the 
last  of  which,  a  little  town  called  Comaltepec, 
they  met  with  a  great  surprise  —  a  great  surprise, 
produced  by  a  very  little  man.  As  they  were 
riding  through  the  pleasant  lanes  between  gardens 
walled  in  with  rocks  and  enclosed  by  hedges  of 
the  organo,  or  organ  cactus,  a  grotesque  figure  rose 
up  out  of  the  road. 

"Hotaf"  whispered  Juanito  to  John,  "there's 
the  owner  of  Ocote  rancho,  the  old  rascal  in  whose 
hut  we  slept  last  night." 

"  So  it  is  !  "  said  John,  "  but  how  did  he  get  out 
here,  three  or  four  leagues  from  his  rancho,  ahead 
of  us,  when  we  started  at  daylight  ?  " 

"Oh,  any  Mexican  knows  side-trails  and  short 
cuts;  trust  him  for  that,  in  his  own  country/' 

The  owner  of  Ocote  rancho  was  a  most  comi- 
cally-ferocious old  man,  not  over  five  feet  high, 
and  about  sixty  years  old.  He  was  so  short  and 
"  stubby "  that  he  might  have  been  taken  for  a 
boy,  had  it  not  been  for  his  gray  hair  (which  was 
pulled  over  his  eyes)  and  his  bristly  beard.  The 
hair  hid  almost  the  whole  of  his  face,  and  through 
it  twinkled  a  pair  of  beady  black  eyes.  On  his 
head  he  wore  a  broad  sombrero,  nearly  three  feet 
wide ;  and  the  rest  of  his  garb  consisted  of  a 
cotton  shirt,  a  pair  of  wide  cotton  trousers,  and 
rude  leather  sandals  kept  in  place  by  thongs  pass- 
ing between  his  toes  and  fastened  around  his  bare 
ankles.  A  very  broad  leather  belt  girt  his  waist, 
and  in  this  were  stuck  a  huge  knife  and  an 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


25 


immense  revolver ;  both  weapons  so  large  that 
they  arrested  the  attention  at  once,  and  gave  him 
the  appearance  of  a  bandit. 

He  had  planted  himself  directly  in  the  path. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  halt.  He  grinned 
with  malicious  glee,  and  held  out  his  hand,  which 
the  travellers  shook,  perforce,  in  turn.  He 
beckoned  them  to  follow,  and  led  the  way  to  a 
little  adobe  house  on  a  hillside,  in  which,  to  their 
astonishment,  they  beheld  a  forge  and  implements 
for  smelting:  metals.  From  some  mvsterious  hid- 


his  head  knowingly,  and  said  one  word  :  "  Oro  !  " 
"Yes,  I  see  it  is  gold.   But  where  did  you  get  it?" 
The  little  bandit  pointed  to  the  silver  and  ex- 
claimed:  "Plata!" 

John  handed  the  specimens  back,  spoke  to 
Juanito,  and  moved  towards  the  door.  But  the 
ranchero  darted  forward  and  planted  himself  in 
their  way. 

'''Para  ! — Hold  !  Has  el ' caballero  ever  heard  of 
the  mountain-mines  of  Montezuma — the  great 
king?  Let  el  caballero  bethink  himself." 


:ORO!"   SAID   THE   OLD    RANCHERO. 


ing-place  he  brought  out  some  nuggets  of  gold  and 
some  specimens  of  silver  in  solid  bars.  These  he 
placed  in  John's  hands,  and  then  stood  peering 
through  his  bushy  hair  into  the  young  man's  face 
as  he  examined  them. 

John  was  inwardly  agitated,  over  this  virgin 
gold,  probably  from  the  hill-mines  of  his  search, 
but  he  studied  a  calm  demeanor,  weighted  the  gold 
carelessly,  and  as  carelessly  inquired  where  it 
came  from. 

The  old  ranchero  had  not  yet  spoken,  but  he 
now  opened  his  mouth,  pointed  to  the  gold,  wagged 


John  assented  by  a  nod,  outwardly  undisturbed. 
The  bandit  seemed  to  bore  into  him  with  his  little 
gimlet  eyes,  for  an  instant.  Then  he  whispered 
huskily :  "  This  gold  came  from  that  mine.  Si  ' 
es  el  oro  sacro —  the  sacred  gold  !  " 

The  effect  upon  el  caballero  was  not,  evidently, 
what  he  had  hoped.  He  went  on  :  "  El  caballero 
has  heard  of  that  mine  ?  He  is  even  now  in  search 
of  it?  Yes?  But  he  knows  not  where  it  is.  / 
know.  I  can  conduct  el  setior." 

John  consulted  with  Juanito  as  to  what  they 
had  better  do  ;  treat  with  the  man,  or  leave  him. 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


"He  is  a  rascal,"  said  Juanito ;  "but  he  may 
have  knowledge  senorito  could  use  for  our  good. 
Let  him  go  with  us,  and  I  will  watch  the  wizard 
for  Little  Master." 

When  the  ranchero  had  secured  their  attention, 
he  became  voluble  and  told  them  why  he  had  fol- 
lowed after  them,  and  why  he  had  intercepted 
them. 

"  After  the  senores  had  left  my  rancho,  I  asked 
myself  why  strangers  —  and  white  men  —  should 
visit  this  country  ;  for  not  in  years  have  I  seen 
one  here  before.  And  in  a  dream  of  the  morning 
it  came  to  me  that  the  caballeros  were  searching 
for  the  Aztec  mines ;  and  I  rose  at  once  and  sad- 
dled my  burro  and  reached  my  town-house  ahead 
•of  the  gentlemen.  And  here  I  am,  sent,  as  they 
•can  see,  by  Dios  through  the  medium  of  a  dream, 
Jto  guide  them  on  their  journey." 

"That  being  the  case,"  remarked  John,  "the 
sooner  we  go  the  better." 

In  a  short  time  the  Mexican  had  drawn  out  and 
saddled  his  donkey,  strapped  a  pair  of  enormous 
spurs  to  his  bare  heels,  and  was  leading  the  way. 
He  was  more  comical  than  before,  mounted  on  his 
burro,  for  the  little  beast  scarcely  lifted  the  Don's 
feet  clear  of  the  ground,  and  in  order  to  make  her 
move  faster  than  the  horses  he  kept  his  bare  legs, 
with  their  huge  spurs,  in  constant  motion  against 
her    sides,    his    arms    tossing    in    corresponding 
motion.     He  now  and  then  checked  their  flapping 
to  communicate  some  item  of  information  and  to 
strengthen  the  impression  that  he  had  been  super- 
naturally   sent  to  guide  them  to  the  lost  mines. 
He  finally  confided  to  them  that  in  addition  to  his 
dream,  the  oracle,  the  old  Indian  squaw  at  Iztlan, 
had  told  him  only  two  days  before  that  two  noble 
young  men  were  on  the  way  to  bring  him  a  for- 
tune.    And  the  fortune-teller  of  Iztlan  never  made 
a  mistake  !     "  Senor,"  he  eagerly  cried,  stopping 
his  donkey  so  suddenly  that  John's  horse  nearly 
walked  over  him,  "  senor,  I  am  the  only  one  in 
this  region,  with  another,  who  knows  of  the  exist- 
ence  of   these    mines !     For  forty  years,  I  have 
carried  the  secret  ;  I  could  not  trust  my  country- 
men ;  but  el  Americano   I   know  I  can  trust ;  he 
shall  be  told  everything.     Even  the  governor  came 
here,   with   a    company   of   soldiers,   seeking   the 
.mine  ;  but  he  went  away  with  nothing.     The  friend 
who  gave  me  the  secret  brought  from  the  mine  a 
burro-load  of  gold ;  yes,  much  as  his  donkey  could 


bear ;  though  he  was  killed  by  the  mountain 
Indians  who  followed  and  sought  him  out.  I 
alone  am  left.  I  alone  have  the  golden  secret." 

Then  he  rode  on  again,  still  flapping  his  arms 
like  a  windmill  and  his  heels  in  constant  motion. 

Towards  evening  time  they  reached  the  verge 
of  the  plateau  on  which  they  had  been  riding. 
Here  they  saw  a  terrible  trail  leading  down  the 
steep  sides  of  red  sandstone  cliffs,  to  a  green  and 
quiet  valley,  through  which  a  yellow  river  roared. 
"Alia! — there!"  said  the  Don,  halting  at  the 
brink,  "  is  the  entrance  to  the  land  of  the  treasure  ; 
behold  the  river  with  the  yellow  sands !  " 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE    INDIAN    TOWN    IN    TIERRA    CALIENTE. 

It  was,  indeed,  a  terrible  trail  that  led  down  into 
the  valley,  twisting  about  and  doubling  upon 
itself  along  the  sides  of  cliffs  and  over  rocks  and 
fallen  trees.  But  it  gave  them  access  into  the 
heart  of  tierra  caliente,  into  the  very  centre  of  sun- 
land,  the  vast  and  perpendicular  cliffs  of  sand- 
stone walling  it  in. 

Once  down,  and  fording  the  tumultuous  river, 
Don  Tomaso,  the  ranchero,  led  them  to  a  broad 
field,  in  which  some  Indians  were  at  work,  plough 
ing  the  soil  with  a  crooked  stick.  They  all  woie 
a  simple  costume  of  cotton  camisa  &&&panialones, 
and  a  hat ;  but  one  of  their  number  Don  Tomaso 
addressed  as  el  presidente,  and  to  him  explained 
that  the  strangers  had  come  to  pay  him  a  visit  of 
respect,  having  heard  of  his  bounty  and  the  great 
attractions  of  his  town  when  in  the  City  of  Mexico. 

Courteously  acknowledging  this  honor,  the  presi- 
dent at  once  abandoned  the  plough  to  the  patient 
oxen,  and  with  simple  dignity  led  the  way  to  the 
village,  which  slumbered  in  a  grove  of  tropical 
trees.  Not  a  house  was  visible  until  they  had 
entered  the  grove ;  then  the  thatched  huts  ap- 
peared, made  of  poles  plastered  with  mud;  lowly 
dwellings,  but  neat  and  clean.  Orange  trees, 
yellow  with  fruit,  great  walnut  trees,  and  others 
purple  with  plums,  completely  sheltered  this  little 
village  from  observation. 

They  were  taken  direct  to  the  casa  real,  the 
cabildo,  the  house  provided  by  the  people  for  the 
entertainment  of  travellers.  The  alcalde,  the  chief 
of  the  village,  was  summoned  to  usher  them  into 


M  O  N  TE  Z  UMA  'S     GOLD    MINE  S. 


27 


it  with  becoming  ceremony.  The  alcalde  came 
with  silver-tipped  staff  carried  before  him,  saluted 
the  strangers  in  the  name  of  his  townsfolk,  pro- 
duced an  immense  key,  opened  the  door,  and  bade 
them  welcome  to  the  hospitalities  of  Tamazulapa. 
The  casa  real  did  not  prove  an  attractive  house ; 
its  walls  were  damp  and  mouldy,  and  its  thatch 
swarming  with  centipedes,  tarantulas  and  lizards, 
so  long  had  it  been  since  strangers  had  occupied 
it  before.  But  it  was  the  house  of  state  and  it  had 


JUAN1TO    HAD    HIM    DOWN    ON    HIS   KNEES. 

two  windows,  which  was  more   than  any  of  the 
huts  could  boast. 

Women  came,  and  brushed  and  dusted  the  fur- 
niture (consisting  of  a  table  and  two  benches)  and 
swept  the  clay  floor  until  it  was  clean.  Then  the 
principal  men  arrived,  with  presents  of  fruit,  fowls 
and  eggs.  The  children  (lovely  girls  and  boys  of 
dusky  hue)  peered  slyly  around  the  trunks  of  the 
trees,  or  corners  of  the  houses.  The  saddles  and 
the  packs  were  piled  up  in  a  corner,  their  animals 
led  away  to  pasture,  and  then  the  young  men  were 
left  in  entire  possession  of  the  cabildo,  as  completely 
as  though  it  had  been  theirs  from  the  beginning 
of  time.  They  unstrapped  their  revolvers  and 
hung  them  above  their  carbines  in  the  corner. 


"  It  doesn't  appear  as  though  these  men  were 
going  to  attack  us,"  quietly  remarked  John,  as  he 
removed  his  heavy  spurs  from  his  tired  feet,  and 
flung  himself  into  the  hammock  their  arriero  had 
stretched  beneath  the  trees. 

"No,"  answered  Juanito ;  "these 'are  honest 
men." 

"  Have  a  care,  senores,  I  say,"  said  Don  Tomaso ; 
"  have  a  care  for  your  rifles  and  revolvers ;  they 
have  your  horses  ;  we  cannot  get  away ;  there  is 
but  the  one  trail  out  of  the  valley.  What  will  you 
do  if  they  come  upon  you  with  their  trained  sol- 
diers ?  While  they  believe  you  friends  of  mine, 
all  is  well.  But  let  your  errand  be  known  and  "  — 
he  drew  his  hand  rapidly  across  his  throat,  and 
threw  up  his  arms,  like  a  man  struck  by  a  bullet. 
"  You  are  safe  because  you  are  my  friends,  senores" 

Juanito  shrugged  his  shoulders  quietly ;  but 
Don  Tomaso  saw  the  motion,  sprang  to  his  feet, 
and  plunged  forward,  snapping  his  fingers  in  the 
boy's  face.  " Perillo ! "  he  hissed.  "Dog  of  an 
Indian  !  What  know  you  of  these  people  ? " 

Juanito  sprang  at  him  with  the  swiftness  of  a 
bow  suddenly  unbent,  and  had  him  at  once  by  the 
throat  and  forced  down  upon  his  knees,  before 
John  could  interpose.  Don  Tomaso  was  fumbling 
at  his  belt  for  his  knife.  John  reached  them  with 
a  bound,  laid  one  hand  on  Don  Tomaso's  right  arm, 
and  the  other  on  Juanito's  choking  hand.  "  What 
folly,  amigo /"  he  said  in  the  ear  of  the  boy  who 
at  once  loosed  his  hold,  excited  as  he  was.  The 
separated  combatants  glared  vindictively  at  each 
other,  without  a  word ;  then  each  returned  to  his 
seat ;  but  John  was  troubled,  for  he  knew  that  a 
desperate  conflict  between  them  was  inevitable. 
"  I  should  have  shaken  off  the  old  Mexican ! ''  he 
impatiently  reflected.  "  It  was  a  false  move,  and 
I  fear  a  fatal  one." 

At  dusk,  when  they  could  retreat  to  a  quiet  spot, 
unobserved,  the  young  men  talked  it  over.  John 
spared  his  reproaches,  knowing  it  would  have  been 
as  impossible  to  stay  a  cyclone  as  the  wrath  of  a 
Mexican  who  had  received  such  an  insult.  The 
question  was  how  to  prevent  another  collision. 
Juanito,  after  a  long  silence,  promised  to  avoid 
cenversation  with  their  badly-chosen  guide.  "  I 
am  sorry,"  he  added,  "  if  Juanito  has  made 
trouble  for  the  Little  Master.  But  senorito  must 
understand  that  Tomaso  is  determined  to  kill 
Juanito  and  it  matters  not  what  means  he  takes. 


28 


MONTE  Z  UMA  'S     GOLD    MINE  S, 


Juanito  will  avoid  him  all  he  can  ;  but  if  a  fight 
comes  —  then  the  senorito  must  chose  whether 
Tomaso  must  die  or  Juanito."  He  looked  into 
John's  eyes  mournfully,  almost  reproachfully,  then 
continued :  "  Juanito  is  not  afraid  to  die ;  but 
what  will  then  become  of  senorito  ?  " 

"Nonsense,  my  boy,"  cried  John,  "neither  of 
you  must  die.  Avoid  him  ;  help  me  plan  to  dis- 
miss him." 

Contrary  to  John's  fears,  the  two  Mexicans 
next  morning  seemed  to  have  utterly  forgotten 
their  quarrel,  and  he  gave  himself  up  to  the 
pleasure  of  studying  this  new  and  peaceful  tribe 
of  Indians  for  a  few  days.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  they  did  little  else  than  dance  and  sing,  in 
pleasant  weather,  and  cultivate  their  gardens  when 
the  rain  came  down.  So  far  as  their  religion  went, 
they  might  have  been  classed  as  pagans,  for  they 
clung  far  more  closely  to  the  ancient  rites  of  the 
sun-worship  than  to  the  forms  taught  them  by  the 
Romish  priests  of  later  times.  They  had  the  re- 
mains of  a  church,  it  is  true,  and  said  certain 
prayers,  and  observed  many  feast-days.  They 
were  irreproachable  in  their  conduct  to  one 
another,  loving  their  neighbors  as  themselves. 
They  were  at  first  shy  of  their  stranger-guests,  es- 
pecially were  the  children  shy  ;  their  modesty  was 
a  charm  that  gave  grace  to  all  their  actions.  In 
song  and  dance  they  were  very  graceful  and 
pleasing,  having  sweet  voices  and  lithe  limbs  well 
trained. 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  their  stay  occurred  the 
grand  sun-dance.  The  oldest  men  formed  them- 
selves in  procession,  with  their  faces  painted  in 
various  colors  and  startling  figures,  and  carrying 
in  their  hands  fans  of  turkey-feathers,  in  the  bright- 
est dyes.  Some  of  them  wore  masks,  and  were 
most  hideous  to  look  upon,  and  all  had  on  the 
curious  garments  worn  by  their  ancestors  in  most 
ancient  times.  A  tall  flag-staff  was  borne  in  front 
from  which  fluttered  a  banner,  brightly  painted 
with  the  great  smiling  face  of  the  sun. 

After  marching  through  all  the  village,  receiving 
offerings  of  drinks  and  fruits  from  every  house,  they 
assembled  in  \\\&plazita  —  the  little  square  in  front 
of  the  cabildo  —  and  formed  around  their  banner. 
Their  chief  men  then  harangued  them  upon  the 
religion  of  their  forefathers,  telling  them  that  the 
first  deity  was  a  being  unseen,  whom  they  could 
not  approach  ;  but  who  took  pity  on  his  poor  chil- 


dren of  earth  and  sent  them  the  sun,  as  his  visible 
presence,  ever  shining  in  the  sky  by  day,  and  rest- 
ing only  at  night.  Hence,  though  the  priests  had 
since  told  them  of  a  different  god,  of  an  ever- 
living  presence,  who  had  once  manifested  himself 
in  human  shape,  yet  they  should  offer  their  tribute 
yearly  to  the  first  conception  of  their  forefathers, 
and  should  teach  to  their  children  the  true  ffod- 

o 

ship  of  the  sun,  a  deity  appointed  to  their  race  by 
the  First  and  Invisible  God. 

This  chieftain  was  distinguished  by  a  high  crown 
of  turkey-feathers,  which  made  his  dusky  features 
appear  even  darker.  After  he  had  chanted  a  long 
song  in  their  native  tongue,  his  followers  replied 
reverently,  and  then  the  music  struck  up,  in  weird 
strains,  and  they  danced  furiously,  shaking  their 
fans  and  their  rattles  of  tortoise-shell  to  and  fro, 
but  all  moving,  swift  or  slow,  in  perfect  tune. 

Nearly  an  hour  was  devoted  to  dance  and  song. 
Then,  at  a  signal,  they  suddenly  stopped,  gathered 
about  the  banner,  and  gazed  upon  the  sun-image 
with  looks  of  adoration.  A  dance  of  sorrow  or 
supplication  followed  ;  then  the  dance  of  joy,  after 
which  the  flag  was  furled,  and  the  day  was  spent 
in  visits  and  feasts. 

During  the  week  following,  Tomaso  led  them 
out  on  three  fruitless  searches  into  the  hills.  In 
John's  opinion  he  seemed  to  be  feeling  his  way, 
rather  than  trying  to  show  them  paths  and  locali- 
ties of  which  he  had  certain  knowledge,  and  one 
evening  as  they  sat  together  in  the  hut,  reading  by 
candle-light,  he  intimated  this  to  Juanito.  The 
Indian  lad  was  jubilant :  "  Then  senorito  no  longer 
has  any  faith  in  el  ladronito  the  little  robber,  eh  ? 
Well,  has  he  lost  faith  in  Juanito  ?  No  ?  If  that 
is  so,  to-morrow  let  Juanito  again  lead  the  search." 

Don  Tomaso's  shock  of  hair  appeared  in  the 
doorway,  at  this  moment,  and  through  it  glittered 
his  little  black  eyes  ;  he  had  evidently  overheard 
a  portion,  at  least,  of  the  conversation.  "  Ah,  it 
is  not  true,  then,  is  it,"  sneered  he,  "  that  gold  was 
found  in  the  river-sands  ?  And  the  great  capitan 
did  not  learn  from  Montezuma  of  rich  mines  near 
Tamazulapa?  And  I  am  a  robber?  But  gold  is 
here,  nevertheless — in  the  hills,  in  a  pit,  reached 
only  through  long  galleries.  Esverdad;  but  I  — 
and  I  alone  —  know  of  the  entrance  to  those 
galleries.  I  will  show  you,  Don  Juan;  you  will 
see,  Don  Juan." 

The   candle  was  spluttering  in  its  socket,  but 


GRANDPAPA'S    POCKETS. 


29 


dimly  lighting  the  room  ;  all  the  Indians  had  re- 
tired to  their  houses,  long  since ;  so  they  sought 
their  hammocks.  But  both  John  and  Juanito  in 
the  darkness  buckled  about  them  their  belts,  con- 


serapes.  They  exchanged  no  words,  but  each  of 
the  young  men  felt  a  new  dread  of  their  guide. 
However,  from  Don  Tomaso's  hammock  soon  came 
the  sound  of  regular  snoring,  and  they  at  last 


taining  their  revolvers  and    knives,  outside  their      dropped  asleep. 


GRANDPAPA'S     POCKETS. 


o 


H  !  such  wonderful,  wonderful  pockets 
As  grandpapa's  never  were  known; 


They're  as  lean  as  can  be  in  the  morning, 
But  at  nightfall  so  plump  they  have  grown 
That  they're  ready  to  burst,  for  packed  in  them 
Is  many  a  game  and  a  toy, 
With  candies  and  cakes  for  the  girlies 
And  lots  of  the  same  for  the  boy. 
And  oranges,  apples,  and  cherries,- 
Bananas,  and  peaches,  and  berries, 
Balls,  marbles,  and  beautiful  dollies, 
Mimic  kittens,  and  monkeys,  and  pollies  — 
Yes,  and  even  torpedoes  and  rockets 
Have  been  found  in  these  wonderful  pockets, 
Grandpapa's  pockets. 

Oh  !  such  wonderful,  wonderful  pockets ! 
Like  stockings  at  Christmas  are  they; 
But  there's  only  one  night  for  the  stockings 
And  these  —  why,  they're  filled  every  day ! 
And  oh !  how  the  rosy  cheeks  dimple 
With  smiles  that  are  loving  and  bright, 
As  the  dear  old  man's  spied  in  the  distance 
And  welcomed  with  shrieks  of  delight. 
For  sets  of  the  prettiest  dishes 
On  which  to  serve  dinners  delicious, 
And  cunning  wee  sofas  and  tables, 
And  books  filled  with  jingles  and  fables, 
And  finger-rings,  bracelets,  and  lockets 
Have  been  found  in  these  wonderful  pockets, 
Grandpapa's  pockets. 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

(Author  of  "  The  Silver  City") 


CHAPTER    IX. 


A    TIGER   CAUGHT    IN    HIS   OWN   TRAP. 

JOHN'S  rest  was  broken,  hours  later,  by  a  dull 
thud,  as  of  some  one  thrown  violently  to  the 
floor.  This  sound  was  followed  by  a  tumult  of 
scuffling,  hard  breathing,  and  half-suppressed  cries 
of  pain.  He  reached  over  to  Juanito's  hammock 
—  it  was  empty !  With  swift  consciousness  that 
help  was  needed  he  sprang  up  and  flashed  his 
light.  He  saw  two  forms  writhing  on  the  floor. 

It  was  an  inspiration  truly,  that  had  suggested 
to  him  the  lighting  of  their  dark  lantern,  to  place 
out  of  sight  in  a  corner;  he  had  done  this  while 
Tomaso  was  in  the  corral,  before  the  hammocks 
were  swung. 

Instantly,  now,  as  he  leaped  to  the  floor,  he 
illuminated  the  space  in  front  of  him  brightly,  and 
he  was  relieved  to  find  Tomaso  was  underneath  ; 
one  arm  only  free.  Juanito  was  crouched  upon  his 
breast,  like  a  young  tiger-cat,  one  knee  against  his 
left  arm,  and  striving  to  secure  his  right  hand, 
and  its  murderous  cuchillo — the  broad-bladed  knife 
usually  worn  in  the  belt.  The  sudden  light  en- 
abled him  to  fasten  upon  it,  and  then  the  little 
giant  was  pinned  securely  to  the  floor.  He  looked 
like  a  vicious,  human  embodiment  of  a  tarantula  — 
a  grizzly,  hairy  spider  —  as  he  lay  there  with  limbs 
outstretched,  and  glowering  upon  his  captor  through 
his  shock  of  hair.  His  revolver  was  still  sticking 
from  his  belt,  and  John  drew  it  out.  "  Now  what 
shall  we  do  with  him  ?  "  said  he  to  Juanito.  It 
was  a  puzzling  situation,  surely.  They  knew  not 
what  disposition  to  make  of  him.  "The  knives, 
carbines,  revolvers  —  secure  them,  Little  Master," 
said  Juanito,  still  holding  Tomaso  fast. 

This  done,  the  agile  lad  leaped  up,  clear  of  the 
bandit,  at  a  bound,  and  leaving  him  free.  Tomaso 
was  on  his  feet  in  an  instant.  He  darted  swiftly  at 
the  table.  But  John,  seizing  his  shoulder,  pulled 
him  back  and  spun  him  into  his  own  corner,  where 
he  crouched  like  an  ocelot  —  an  Aztec  tiger — his 


small,  black,  wicked  eyes  following  every  motion. 

The  young  men  had  no  speech  in  common  save 
Spanish.  This  tongue  Tomaso  also  understood, 
and  they  could  not  consult.  But  on  one  thing  they 
were  settled  without  speech  —  their  enemy  must  be 
watched;  and  through  the  slow-moving  hours  of  the 
night,  they  sat  up  and  kept  him  in  the  light  of  the 
lantern,  weapons  in  reach.  Tomaso  never  stirred 
from  his  crouching  position  in  the  corner;  not  even 
when  daylight  began  to  struggle  through  the  chinks 
in  the  walls,  and  Juanito,  opening  the  door,  went 
in  search  of  the  alcalde.  He  was  still  in  his  cor- 
ner, like  a  sulky  spider,  when  Juanito  returned, 
with  the  alcalde,  presidente,  and  other  chief  men 
of  the  village. 

But  as  they  entered,  Tomaso  leaped  for  the  door. 
He  was  forced  back  by  two  strong  Indians,  and  they, 
under  the  directions  of  the  alcade,  dragged  him  off 
to  the  calaboza. 

Then,  gathering  in  conclave  under  the  spreading 
branches  of  a  tamarind-tree,  with  sentinels  out  to 
keep  off  intruders,  the  village  officials  invited  the 
strangers  to  tell  their  story. 

"  It  is  a  serious  thing,"  began  the  alcalde,  with 
dignity  and  simplicity,  "  a  serious  thing  to  place 
one  in  the  calaboza  who  has  claimed  our  hospitality. 
Still  we  have  protected  you.  Now  we  must  know 
what  this  man  has  done." 

"  Certainly,  seiior,"  answered  John.  "  It  is  your 
right.  The  man  simply  sought  our  lives."  But 
Juanito  narrated  the  events  of  the  night.  He 
himself  came  of  Indian  stock,  and  he  was  speaking 
to  Indians ;  accordingly  he  wasted  no  words.  His 
account  was  succinct :  "  Senores,  we  retired  late. 
My  friend  slept.  I,  suspicious  of  the  heavily- 
breathing  Tomaso,  remained  awake.  An  hour 
passed.  Two  hours.  My  eyes  were  open.  The 
heavy  breathing  ceased.  I  heard  other  sounds. 
Tomaso  left  his  hammock.  He  crept  softly  to- 
wards us.  He  came  under  my  hammock.  I  ex- 
pected to  feel  his  knife  searching  for  me.  But  he 
crept  on.  Beneath  senorito's  hammock  he  halted. 
I  sprang.  The  rest  you  know." 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


There  was  a  general  stir  of  assent  through  the 
circle.  "  Without  a  doubt,  he  intended  to  kill 
the  white  stranger  —  el  bianco  ;  but  why  ?  "  They 
waited  for  the  reason. 

Juanito  hesitated.  He  would  have  consulted 
with  John,  since  the  assigning  of  the  reason  in- 
volved the  disclosure  of  their  secret.  He  looked 
inquiringly  at  the  Little  Master.  He,  divining  his 
thoughts,  nodded  approval. 

Juanito  went  on  :  "  Senores,  the  reason  is  this : 
Senorito,  my  friend  and  master,  has  learned,  from  a 
wonderful  book  written  by  the  great  Capitan,  Don 
Fernando  Cortes,  that  there  exists  in  these  moun- 
tains, golden  treasure  " — 

He  stopped,  for  the  usually  stolid  Indians 
showed  intense  excitement.  They  rose.  Whis- 
pering together,  they  glanced  at  the  young  stranger 
with  anything  but  good- will  expressed  in  their  looks. 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  alcalde  at  last. 

"  That  is  all,"  proceeded  Juanito.  "  Our  pres- 
ence here  so  near  the  secret  mines  surely  explains 
our  purpose." 

"  But  Tomaso  —  why  should  he  take  your  lives  ? " 

"  Tomaso  met  us,  at  Comaltepec,  showed  us 
gold ;  said  he  could  guide  us  to  the  ancient  mine, 
and  joined  us.  I  doubt  now  his  knowledge.  But 
he  listened  last  night  to  the  reading  from  El  Capi- 
tarfs  account.  Now  he  knows  all  that  we  know. 
That  being  so  —  " 

He  halted  again.  A  flash  of  intuition  told 
John  the  conclusion  of  that  unfinished  sentence. 
"  That  being  so,"  John  himself  hurriedly  said,  "  he 
had  all  our  secret.  He  needed  us  no  longer.  Why 
should  he  share  the  gold  with  us  ?  He  could  pene- 
trate more  safely  and  surely  without  us  than  with 
us.  So  he  would  kill  us." 

At  this  point  some  unexpected  testimony  was 
offered,  throwing  a  new  light  upon  Tomaso's  ac- 
tions. An  old  Indian  rose  —  one  of  the  influential 
personages  of  the  town.  "  The  gold,"  said  he, 
"  which  this  Tomaso  had  —  that  which  he  showed 
the  strangers  —  know  ye  whence  it  came  ?  //  was 
mine!  Once,  many  years  ago,  I  carried  gold  to 
him  ;  he  was  a  silversmith,  at  Imulco.  He  kept  my 
gold.  He  tried  to  force  me  to  tell  whence  I  got  it. 
More  than  this  —  he  stole  the  pieces  I  placed  be- 
fore the  Blessed  Virgin,  which  I  took  to  her,  with 
prayers  that  she  would  bless  my  venture.  He 
stole  them,  and  I  had  not  heart  to  work,  because 
the  Holy  Virgin  had  been  defrauded  of  her  por- 


tion. But  I  refused  to  show  him  the  mine.  He 
knows  naught  of  the  mine.  Forty  years,  it  was,  ago. 
I  have  done."  He  sat  down  and  drew  his  serape 
about  him. 

Yet  what  should  these  peaceful  men  do  with 
Tomaso  ?  They  were  in  as  great  perplexity  as 
were  the  young  strangers  a  few  hours  before. 
Keep  him  in  the  calaboose  a  period  and  then 
send  him  out  of  the  valley,  with  a  warning  never 
to  return,  as  he  valued  his  life.  That  was  the 
final  decision. 

But  the  more  important  question  concerned  the 
young  strangers.  It  was  demanded  of  John  and 
Juanito  that  they  should  not  depart  by  stealth. 
Then  the  council  adjourned  for  breakfast,  for  it 
was  late;  smokes  were  curling  all  around  them, 
and  savory  odors  greeted  the  young  men  as,  silent, 
they  returned  to  the  cabildo. 

At  noon  they  were  summoned.  The  discussion 
among  the  Tamazulapans  was  dignified,  but  grave 
and  earnest.  The  solemn  tone  of  it  convinced 
John  that  these  Indians  were  indeed  the  custodi- 
ans of  the  historic  mines.  Should  they  allow  these 
strangers  to  go  farther,  the  presidente  asked. 

"They  are  not  like  the  Spaniards,  truly," 
mildly  urged  the  alcalde  ;  "  yet,"  added  he,  in  a 
deepening  tone,  "  they  are  white  men.  Other 
white  men  will  certainly  follow  after  these,  should 
they  reach  the  King's  Treasure.  That  smoke,  as- 
cending into  the  upper  air,  tells  to  dwellers  upon  the 
hills  that  we  have  here  a  fire  ;  no  less  certainly  will 
the  visits  of  white  men  here  proclaim  to  all  the 
world  that  they  have  found  gold  !  Who  does  not 
remember  the  sufferings  of  the  people  when  the 
Spaniards  came  through  the  land  in  search  of 
money  ?  What  should  we  gain  ?  Now,  we  have 
enough  for  our  wants ;  the  ground  gives  us  all  we 
need,  and  all  are  happy.  Of  what  use  is  gold  to 
us  ?  We  neither  buy  nor  sell.  Of  what  good  will 
be  the  coming  of  many  men,  to  dig  pits  in  our 
farms  and  spoil  the  water  of  our  streams  ?  " 

The  presidente,  in  a  long,  serious  speech,  agreed 
with  the  alcalde  that  it  would  be  wisdom  to  keep 
the  secret  of  the  mine  buried  as  deep  as  its  deep- 
est pit  was  dug.  "  Yet,"  he  added,  looking  com- 
passionately upon  his  proteges,  "  these  young  men 
have  come  many,  many  miles  to  learn  of  this  treas- 
ure ;  one  of  them  has  sailed  the  wide  ocean  (which 
none  of  us  have  ever  seen) ;  they  have  come  in 
canoas  up  the  dark  river,  Coatzcoalcos ;  have 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


crossed  the  savannas,  and  forced  their  horses  over 
the  rough  trails  of  the  Sierras.  Brave  men  are 
they.  Others  have  come  here,  truly;  but  how? 
The  gobernador  came,  with  files  of  soldiers,  and 
demanded  of  us  our  gold  ;  but  we  fled  to  the  hills 
and  he  marched  home  at  last  with  nothing  as  his 
reward.  Chatto  —  the  flat-nose  —  came  also  ;  his 
fate  ye  all  know!  Like  him  perish  all  robbers! 
But  these  come  in  peace.  My  eyes  have  seen 
none  like  these  before.  Their  eyes  are  clear. 


Clearly  he  had  understood  every  word  of  their  dis- 
cussion. Every  face  was  turned  to  him.  Alarm, 
curiosity,  interest,  together  with  a  strange  look  of 
kinship,  moulded  the  expression  of  all. 

"  It  is  no  slight  favor  we  would  ask  of  you," 
continued  Juanito,  "  yet  you  will  grant  it ;  if  it 
were  ten  times  as  great,  ye-  would  grant  it !  We 
seek  the  old  mines,  but  not  alone  for  our  own 
advantage.  We  are  willing  to  yield  you  a  revenue 
from  our  labors.  We  wish  to  be  of  benefit  to  you. 


SHOWS   THE    TOTEM    OF   THE    LORD    OF   THli    I11LI.S 


Their  voices  are  kind.  Would  that  the  young  men 
of  our  people  were  as  they." 

There  was  a  buzz  of  approbation ;  and  the  al- 
calde, seeing  that  the  majority  present  appeared 
likely  to  favor  the  strangers,  shrewdly  moved  to 
again  adjourn.  This  they  were  about  to  do  when 
Juanito  rose  and  asked  their  attention  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  the  alcalde  granted  him  a  hearing. 

"  Friends  and  brothers,"  began  the  boy  in  a 
tongue  quite  unknown  to  John.  But  a  visible  thrill 
of  emotion  ran  through  the  assemblage.  He  was 
speaking  in  Zapotec,  their  own  language.  This 
-was  their  first  intimation  of  his  knowledge  of  it. 


But  you  will  grant  what  we  ask,  because  I  ask  it-* 
and  for  no  other  reason." 

Then  Juanito  drew  his  right  hand  from  its  hid- 
ing-place in  his  breast,  and  spread  it  out,  palm 
towards  them. 

Instantly,  to  John's  surprise,  although  he  was 
expecting  some  surprising  development  to  be 
brought  about  by  Juanito,  from  his  air  and  im- 
pressive tone,  every  member  of  the  group  bowed 
his  head  and  touched  his  forehead  ;  a  murmur  ran 
around  :  "  Coatelicamar  !  Coatelicamar  !  " 

"  Need  I  tell  you,  friends,"  continued  the  young 
Indian,  still  in  Zapotec,  "  that  I  am  descended  from 


M  O  NTE  Z  UMA  'S     GOLD    MINE  S. 


Malinche  ;  that  from  her,  through  long  lines  of  an- 
cestors, I  received  into  my  keeping  this  totem  I 
now  display  before  you  ?  " 

"  We  know  now  that  you  are  one  of  us,"  returned 
the  alcalde,  "even  though  your  tribe  be  now  far 
separated  from  us. 

"  But  it  is  a  great  thing  you  ask  of  us ;  it  is  a 
thing  no  man  yet  has  wrested  from  us.  Through 
long  years  of  poverty,  though  tempted  by  the  offers 
of  riches,  we  have  kept  the  secret  of  the  mines. 
Tribute  in  the  name  of  Malinche  has  never  been 
exacted.  If  you  command,  in  the  name  of  the 
great  princess,  Malinche,  we  must  comply  ;  but 
withdraw  the  totem  and  reflect  upon  the  conse- 
quences to  our  tribe.  Here,  before  you,  are  old 
men  and  young;  yonder  are  our  wives  and  chil- 
dren ;  in  peace  and  happiness  we  dwell  here  ;  in 
peace  and  happiness  we  may  continue  to  dwell,  un- 
less the  gold-seeking  miners  come.  Then  we  shall 
pass  from  our  homes,  wanderers  in  the  wild  lands, 
no  more  to  be  gathered  together." 

o  o 

"  That,  surely,  we  should  not  desire,"  returned 
Juanito  ;  "  you  say  truly,  that  I  am  one  of  you  !  I 
speak  your  language;  the  blood  of  the  Zapoteca 
flows  in  my  veins.  Yet,  while  you  are  free  my 
family  is  in  peonage  ;  yes,  held  as  slaves  —  even 
my  mother,  my  brother,  and  sister.  To  free  them, 
to  bring  them  back  to  join  their  kindred,  I  must 
have  gold,  much  gold.  This  /  need  — enough  to 
pay  their  ransom;  the  rest  I  care  not  for,  I  would 
stay  and  dwell  with  you.  My  friend  too  has  great 
deeds  to  do  with  gold." 

"  How  much  require  you  for  the  ransom  ? "  asked 
the  presidente. 

Juanito  told  the  sum  ;  it  was  great,  because  the 
inherited  debt  had  accumulated  through  years  and 
years. 

"  I  doubt  if  there  be  so  much  in  all  the  village," 
said  the  alcalde. 

He  whispered  to  the  old  men,  and  they  silently 
separated,  each  going  to  his  own  division  of  the 
village,  and  soon  there  was  an  outgoing  of  women, 
children,  and  older  people.  Each  one  brought 
something  and  deposited  it  upon  a  blanket,  in  the 
plazita.  Upon  their  faces  were  glad  smiles,  for 
they  had  been  told  to  bring  all  the  money  they 
possessed  to  redeem  one  of  their  own  race  from 
peonage  ;  and  they  rejoiced  in  the  noble  deed. 
The  chief  man  counted  the  little  heaps  upon  the 
blanket.  "  Is  there  no  more  ? "  he  said. 


"  No  more  !  It  is  all  our  houses  held  !  "  The 
presidente  sighed  :  "  Alas !  there  is  not  half  enough ! 
Take  back,  O,  my  people,  your  treasures.  The 
strangers  must  go  to  the  mine.  But  let  us  wait 
through  the  night." 

CHAPTER  X. 

AT   THE   MINE'S    MOUTH. 

It  was  their  first  peaceful  night  in  the  Indian 
village,  their  first  opportunity  for  unrestrained  con- 
versation. 

With  a  sense  of  happy  security,  they  sat  by  their 
lamp.  "  It  is  a  question,"  John  declared  to  Juanito, 
"  whether  or  not  we  ought  to  persist  in  our  search, 
for  if  these  people  oppose  it  they  certainly  have 
the  best  of  reasons.  To  go  on  is  an  awful  respon- 
sibility. But  what  was  it  you  said  to  them,  Juan- 
ito ;  what  did  you  show  them,  that  changed  at  once 
their  attitude  of  defiance  to  one  of  supplication  ?  " 

Juanito  had  not  revealed  to  him  what  it  was  that 
he  had  held  in  his  hand  and  displayed  to  the  In- 
dians. 

"  Does  the  senorito  remember  our  conversation, 
the  first  day  we  spoke  of  the  mines  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  you  said  you  held  a  powerful  means  in 
reserve.  But  of  course  I  had  no  idea  of  what  it 
was." 

"  No.  Juanito  does  not  let  all  of  himself  be 
known  at  once." 

"  But  what  is  it  ?  " 

"  Has  the  senorito  ever  heard  of  the  tribute-book 
of  Montezuma  ?  " 

Senorito  had  heard  of  a  tribute-book. 

"  He  knows  that  in  it  are  all  the  records  of  the 
many  treasures  sent  to  the  great  king  ? " 

John  shook  his  head. 

"  Piels  de  tigre  (tiger  skins)  copalli  (copal),  gold, 
as  well  as  rich  feathers  and  precious  stones,"  went 
on  Juanito.  "  The  name  of  the  people  who  sent 
them  with  each.  And  the  totems  of  each  Pueblo. 
The  senorito  knows,"  pursued  the  imperturbable 
Juanito,  "  that  I  am  descended  from  Malinche, 
Princess  of  Coatzcoalcos.  Malinche,  when  Don 
Fernando  Cortes  went  to  Spain,  came  back  to  her 
own  country.  She  was  rich  in  land  ;  but  had  gold 
paid  as  tribute  to  her  by  the  Indians.  Every 
month,  she  sent  her  servants  into  the  hills,  and 
they  came  back  with  it." 


34 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


"And  what  has  all  this  to  do  with  us?"  asked 
John  as  Juanito  paused. 

"  Much !  Senorito,  those  servants,  to  get  that 
gold,  had  to  take  to  these  hill-people  the  totem  of 
the  lord  of  the  hills,  which  he  had  given  Malinche ; 
Coatelicamar  —  lord  of  the  hills." 

"  Still,  I  am  in  the  dark." 

"  Malinche  died  ;  the  totem  fell  to  her  daughter, 
whose  descendant  I  am." 

A  light  broke  upon  the  American  at  these  words : 
"  And  it  is  that  totem  which  you  have  ?  " 

"  Juanito  has  that  totem  !  " 

He  drew  forth  from  under  his  camisa,  where  it  had 
hung  around  his  neck,  that  little  bag  which  John 
had  seen  on  the  coast,  and  from  it  extracted  a 
piece  of  wrinkled  parchment.  Smoothing  it  out, 
he  displayed  to  John's  wondering  eyes  the  cher- 
ished totem — a  prostrate  serpent  with  two  curious 
figures  upon  its  back. 

"  There  is  no  doubt,"  said  John,  after  carefully 
studying  it,  "  this  is  the  totem  of  Coatelicamar." 

"  It  fixes,  too,  beyond  a  doubt,  the  exact  location 
of  the  mine,"  said  Juanito.  "And  now  the  senorito 
knows  all  Juanito  knows  about  it.  Will  senorito 
give  up  the  search  now  ?  " 

"  No.  My  curiosity  is  more  excited  than  ever. 
We  will  discover  the  mines,  even  if  we  have  to  re- 
trace our  steps  and  follow  up  the  course  of  the 
river  with  the  golden  sands.  We  can  then  accom- 
plish our  purpose  without  disturbing  our  friends 
here,  who  will  certainly  not  lose  anything  by  our  dis- 
covery, if  they  never  gain." 

With  this  resolve,  they  lay  down  to  sleep.  A 
surprise  awaited  them  in  the  morning.  As  they 
opened  their  door,  the  alcalde  and  two  others 
stood  before  it.  They  saluted  them  with  respect, 
but  waited  till  they  had  performed  their  ablutions 
and  had  breakfasted,  before  they  announced  their 
errand  :  "  Senores,  we  will  show  you  the  mine  !" 

John  thanked  them,  and  they  told  him  that  two 
young  men  would  go  with  them,  next  morning,  to 
conduct  them  straight  to  the  ancient  shafts.  But 
they  wished  to  stipulate  that  they  should  not  re- 
veal to  other  white  men  the  location.  This  John 
refused  to  promise. 

"  Then,"  said  the  alcalde,  "  our  young  men  shall 
not  guide  you.     You  may  go  and  seek  for  your- 
selves ;  for  how  know  we  that  the  totem  of  Ma- 
linche was  not  gained  by  force,  even  by  fraud  ? " 
John  laid  a  restraining  hand  upon  the  arm  of  Ma- 


linche's  descendant.  "  So  be  it,"  he  said.  "On 
you  must  rest  the  responsibility  of  disobedience  to 
the  old  tribal  mandate.  We  will  go  without  your 
protection,  for  go  we  will." 

The  alcalde  was  visibly  shaken.  But  he  replied 
only  :  "  Beware,  however,  of  the  people  there  ;  the 
descendants  of  the  great  chief.  His  people  are 
cannibals." 

As  they  rode  out  of  the  village,  towards  the 
river,  nearly  the  entire  populace  gathered  about. 
The  alcalde  and  presidente  wore  a  troubled,  anx- 
ious expression,  but  they  did  not  relent.  Juanito 
rode  by  them  with  a  haughty  look.  With  one 
backward  turn,  he  again  displayed  the  mighty  totem, 
and  figuratively  shook  the  dust  of  their  village  from 
his  garments. 

Their  route  lay  about  a  day's  journey  across 
the  table-land  into  a  rougher  region.  Their 
horses,  refreshed  by  their  tarry  in  the  Indian  pas- 
tures, were  frisky  and  sympathetic ;  while  the 
mule,  freed  from  her  pack  and  bearing  on  her 
back  only  the  arriero  and  a  pair  of  saddle-bags, 
kicked  up  her  heels  and  brayed  her  delight  loudly 
and  often.  Everything  seemed  auspicious,  except 
for  the  predictions  of  the  alcalde.  They  were 
travelling  lightly,  but  were  heavily  armed  ;  each 
one  having  a  belt  full  of  cartridges  about  his 
waist,  a  carbine  and  a  revolver.  Even  the  arriero 
carried  a  revolver,  of  which  he  was  so  proud  that 
he  had  it  slung  from  a  broad  strap  over  his 
shoulder,  where  everybody  could  see  it,  and  where 
the  sun  could  glint  the  bright  nickel  trimmings  on 
the  butt  and  barrel.  In  a  fight,  he  would  rely, 
of  course,  upon  his  trusty  riata,  for  he  could  lasso 
a  man,  or  a  wild  animal,  going  at  full  gallop,  and 
drag  his  victim  to  the  ground  without  checking 
speed  ;  but  a  riata  was  not  half  so  imposing  as  the 
revolver,  and  did  not  bestow  such  an  air  of  dis- 
tinction. 

The  trail  grew  rapidly  worse,  becoming,  finally, 
only  a  narrow  foot-path,  which  had  hardly  ever  been 
trodden  by  any  save  the  barefooted  Indians  and 
their  dogs;  but  their  gallant  horses  were  sure  of 
foot,  and  with  their  noses  to  the  ground  safely 
bore  them  through  every  perilous  passage. 

Emerging  upon  a  narrow  reach  of  plateau,  John 
(who  was  ahead)  was  about  to  avail  himself  of  the 
opportunity  for  a  gallop,  when  the  mule.ro  cried 
out.  He  reined  in  the  impatient  mare,  who  danced 
about  in  this  direction  and  that,  fretting,  and  won- 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


35 


•dering  what  the  delay  could  mean.  The  mnlero 
pointed  out  to  him  along-tailed  bird,  with  long  and 
slender  legs,  and  a  sharp  beak,  which  looked  like 
a  very  large  cuckoo,  and  which  was  industriously 
•collecting  something  from  amongst  the  cactus 
plants. 

"  I  see  it,"  said  John,  impatiently  —  "a  chacha- 
2aha;  why  should  you  detain  me  to  look  at  him? " 

The  arriero  pointed  beyond  the  bird,  and  there, 
coiled  in  the  trail,  was  a  large  rattlesnake.  It  was 
apparently  asleep;  John  pulled  out  his  revolver, 


THE   TORTILLA-MAKER. 

but  the  arriero  held  his  arm.  "  Wait,"  he  whis- 
pered, "  wait  and  see  the  serpent  die  ;  la  chachalaha 
will  attend  to  him."  They  retired  a  pace,  swung 
themselves  off  their  saddles,  and  waited.  Mean- 
while, the  curious  bird  had  kept  on  with  its  em- 
ployment, collecting  the  spiny  leaves  of  the 
prickly-pear,  which  it  carried  toward  the  sleeping 
serpent  and  laid  in  a  row  around  it.  Its  intention 
was  apparent;  it  was  building  a  barbed  fence 
around  the  snake  ! 

Almost  breathlessly,  they  watched  the  process. 
It  seemed  almost   human,  in  its   gratified  air  of 


responsibility,  as  it  quietly  walked  to  and  fro,  nip- 
ping off  a  leaf  and  setting  it  in  position,  jerking 
its  long  tail  here  and  there,  and  bobbing  its  head 
about  with  a  sidelong  glance  at  its  audience. 

Finally,  the  prickly  fence  was  built ;  the  bird 
walked  around  it  noiselessly,  stopping  every  gap, 
then  hopped  over  to  peck  the  snake  on  the  tail  with 
its  sharp  beak,  quickly  skipping  back  again  and 
retiring  to  a  safe  distance  to  watch  the  effect. 
Thus  rudely  disturbed,  the  rattlesnake  seemed  at 
first  disposed  to  coil  up  more  tightly  for  a  spring  ; 
but  it  changed  its  mind  and  started  to  crawl  away. 
Then  it  saw  the  spiny  hedge.  It  moved  in  another 
direction,  only  to  encounter  the  same  prickly  wall. 
It  seemed  furious  with  rage,  apparently  realizing 
its  position  ;  but  made  a  dash  at  the  hedge,  which 
met  it  with  a  thousand  barbed  darts ;  these  not 
only  entered  beneath  its  scales,  but  penetrated  its 
mouth,  when  it  bit  at  them  in  its  fury.  Hope- 
lessly involved  in  the  trap,  the  serpent  turned 
upon  itself  and  dealt  a  deadly  wound  with  its  own 
venomous  fangs ;  which  event  the  chachalaha  had 
seemed  to  expect,  for  the  bird  walked  off  with  an 
air  of  satisfaction. 

The  arriero  wagged  his  head.  "Es  demonic"  he 
said  ;  "  that  is  the  bird  of  the  evil  one." 

They  went  on,  halting  at  noon  by  an  arroya, 
near  which  was  an  Indian  hut,  where  a  woman 
with  naked  arms  was  grinding  corn  on  the  mctatl, 
for  the  corn-cakes,  or  tortillas,  for  her  family. 

She  was  surprised  at  sight  of  strangers,  but 
quietly  offered  them  tortillas,  and  signed  them  to 
enter  and  be  seated.  She  spoke  a  different  tongue 
from  their  friends  of  the  valley,  and  Juanito  said 
she  was  one  of  the  Mixes — the  cannibal  people, 
against  whom  the  alcalde  had  warned  them. 

She  was  the  only  Indian  they  saw  that  day,  until 
mid-afternoon,  when  two  runners,  stalwart  young 
men,  came  upon  them  suddenly  out  of  a  ravine, 
and  stood  before  them  in  the  trail.  .They  held 
out  a  piece  of  paper,  which  explained  that  their 
friend,  the  alcalde,  had  relented,  and  had  sent 
them  as  guides. 

"  The  totem  has  done  its  work,"  said  Juanito 
grimly.  "  It  has  made  itself  obeyed." 

The  guides  took  their  places,  in  advance  of  the 
horses.  They  had  been  able  to  overtake  the  horse- 
men by  threading  the  foot  trails  through  the  ravines, 
which  were  shorter  than  the  bridle-paths.  They  led 
on  into  a  canon,  where  mighty  walls  rose  up  on 


GOING    HOME    FROM    SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 


either  side,  and  the  path  was  precariously  narrow 
and  steep.  The  sun  was  rapidly  descending  be- 
hind the  jagged  crest  of  the  cordillera,  throwing  a 
flood  of  golden  light  against  the  eastern  wall  of  the 
canon  and  glancing  athwart  the  gray  plains  above. 
The  quail  and  the  chachalahas  were  calling,  each 
to  its  kind,  and  seeking  their  night  shelters. 

The  gloom  of  the  great  ravine  deepened  every 
minute,  and  still  their  guides  beckoned  them  on. 
As  they  reached  a  curve  of  the  ravine  where  it  was 
wide  enough  for  their  horses  to  walk  abreast,  Ju- 
anito  called  a  halt. 

"  Let  us  stop,"  he  said,  "  here  is  as  good  a  place 
to  camp  as  we  shall  find.  I  like  my  back  to  this 
great  wall." 

The  cliff  shelved  back  a  rod  or  two,  leaving  a 
broad  platform,  over  which  it  impended,  completely 
sheltering  them  from  above. 

"A  good  place,"  declared  Juanito,  "which  we 
can  easily  defend,  should  the  cannibals  conclude 
to  attack  us.  Now  let  us  off  with  the  saddles,  and 
barricade  the  approach  from  the  path  above." 

"  But  wait,  Juanito.  Do  you  see  our  guides  ? 
They  have  lighted  torches ;  they  are  at  the  mouth 


of  a  cave.  Can  that  be  the  way  into  the  mine  ?  " 
The  Indian  lad  went  on  a  step :  "  Si,  they  are 
beckoning  to  us.  I  will  go  to  them  ;  let  the  Little 
Master  wait  here,  and  have  his  hand  on  his  rifle." 
Juanito  leaped  across  the  ravine,  which  carried 
a  rumbling  stream  away  and  away  into  unknown 
depths.  He  climbed  on  over  a  mass  of  broken 
rock  until  he  reached  the  hole  in  the  cliff  where 
the  Indians  had  halted.  By  the  light  of  the  torches, 
he  closely  scanned  the  face  of  the  rock.  Without  a 
word  to  the  guides  he  returned  to  John. 

"  No,  setwrito"  he  said,  " that  is  not  the  main 
entrance  to  the  mine  ;  possibly  it  is  a  side  gallery. 
The  vast  heap  of  broken  ore  shows  that  it  has  been 
brought  here.  '  How  do  I  know  it  is  not  ? '  Let 
el  senorito  remember  again  the  ,totem.  Yes  !  It 
was  a  red  serpent.  The  tradition  of  my  family 
says  that  the  red  serpent  is  painted  at  the  mine's 
mouth  —  on  the  rock.  This  rock  bears  no  serpent. 
But  it  is  near,  amigito  mio ;  it  cannot  be  far ;  every 
trace  is  here  of  ancient  mines.  Put  by  the  rifle, 
and  let  us  prepare  a  camp.  But  look !  back  on  the 
trail.  Who  is  creeping  down  the  rock  ?  "Diosmio! 
Get  behind  me,  senorito  /" 


GOING    HOME    FROM    SUNDAY-SCHOOL. 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD     MINES. 


BY  FRED  A.  OBER. 

(Author  of"  The  Silver  City.") 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    SACK    OF   GOLD. 

JOHN  sprang  to  his  feet.  He  looked  in  the  di- 
rection whence  they  had  just  come.  But  he 
saw  nothing;  neither  evidently  did  Juanito 
after  that  first  startling  apparition.  Gloom  and 
darkness  settled  down  upon  the  place  ;  not  even  a 
shadow  crossed  the  trail. 

The  boy  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  looked  inquiringly 
at  the  Little  Master,  with  all  the  superstition  of  his 
race  in  his  stare.  "  Surely,  senorito,  I  saw  him  — 
the  shade  of  our  enemy,  coming  down  the  path." 

John  shook  his  head  with  a  laugh  :  "  It  must 
have  been  your  imagination,  Juanito  ;  you  saw  that 
which  you  most  feared  to  see  !  " 

Juanito  assented,  but  with  a  half-reservation  ; 
the  vision  was  sufficiently  clear  to  make  him  deter- 
mine to  sit  up  all  night  on  guard.  The  Indian 
guides  came  back  and  crouched  by  the  fire  that 
the  arriero  kindled.  "  Oro,"  they  said  signifi- 
cantly to  Juanito,  but  nothing  more.  They  seemed 
indifferent  whether  the  strangers  entered  the  mine 
or  not ;  they  had  pointed  it  out  to  them. 

Without  giving  their  halting-place  too  much  the 
appearance  of  a  barricaded  camp,  the  young  men 
managed  to  pile  up  the  saddles  and  other  things 
so  as  to  obstruct  the  trail  leading  down,  and 
spread  their  blankets  beneath  a  shelving  rock  that 
protected  them  from  above.  John,  though  on  the 
eve  of  his  fortune,  perhaps  involving  fabulous 
riches,  was  asleep  in  five  minutes.  After  his 
strange  experiences  among  the  treasures  of  the 
Silver  City,  the  awe  which  historic  mysteries  in- 
spire could  not  affect  him  as  at  first.  But  Juanito 
was  sleepless.  He  expected  a  subtle  attack.  He 
distrusted,  too,  the  guides.  He  turned  over  the 
leaves  of  the  old  Spanish  book  and  wished  he 
could  read. 

But  morning  found  them  safe.  Just  as  the  sun 
gilded  the  cliffs,  they  crawled  from  beneath  their 
shelters  and  went  down  to  the  stream  to  bathe. 


Coffee  was  made,  and  then,  after  explicit  directions 
to  the  arriero  to  await  their  return,  and  to  keep  an 
eye  constantly  upon  the  horses,  they  armed  them- 
selves with  carbine  and  revolver  and  followed  the 
stream  up  the  canon  towards  its  source.  Their 
guides  indicated  to  them  that  they  should  enter 
the  hole  in  the  cliff.  But  Juanito  refused,  and  the 
Indians  followed  after,  loading  themselves  with 
their  provisions,  coils  of  cordage,  and  torches  of 
pine  wood. 

Everything  had  pointed  (the  night  before)  to  a 
close  proximity  of  the  mine  ;  but  both  the  young 
men  felt  averse  (for  some  occult  reason)  to  enter- 
ing the  passage  pointed  out  by  the  guides.  For 
nearly  two  hours  they  tramped  through  the  rock- 
ribbed  canon,  sometimes  in  the  stream,  again 
climbing  over  slippery  rocks  and  clinging  to  nar- 
row ledges.  At  last  they  reached  an  opening, 
an  amphitheatre-like  basin,  where  vast  heaps  of 
scoriae  and  broken  rock  indicated  to  John's  eye 
another  vent  of  the  mine.  They  examined  the 
great  cavernous  fissure  carefully.  Suddenly  Juan- 
ito leaped  aside  with  an  exclamation  of  joy.  A 
red  serpent  was  painted  on  one  of  the  stones  of 
the  lintel.  The  boys  looked  at  each  other  with 
strange  sensations,  and  then  proceeded  to  curi- 
ously examine  the  totem.  It  corresponded  rudely, 
but  surely,  with  the  red  serpent  on  the  old  parch- 
ment Juanito  wore  on  his  heart. 

But  the  morning  was  well-nigh  spent ;  and  they 
entered  the  tunnel  with  little  delay,  the  cool  cav- 
ern receiving  them  at  once,  as  into  another  world 
—  a  world  of  darkness,  in  which  they  groped  their 
way  following  the  Indians  with  their  smoking 
torches. 

The  tunnel,  or  drift,  was  so  high  they  could  at 
first  walk  in  it  upright.  They  passed  several  lat- 
eral drifts  (called  cruceros)  which  indicated  to  John 
a  mine  of  great  magnitude.  The  torches  lighted 
the  path  in  an  uncertain  way,  and  they  were  con- 
stantly stumbling  upon  one  another.  Still  the 
Indians  tramped  on  towards  the  heart  of  the 
mountain.  Barefooted  as  they  were,  their  shuf- 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


fling  footsteps  were  hardly  audible.  Suddenly 
John's  foot  struck  against  an  object  that  gave  out 
a  metallic  sound.  He  stooped  and  picked  it  up, 
calling  to  the  Indians  to  bring  their  torches. 
Juanito  quickly  detected  through  the  rust  the 
gleam  of  copper.  He  pronounced  it  an  Indian  axe 
or  chisel.  This,  after  much  rubbing,  it  was  shown 
to  be  ;  a  primitive  cutting-instrument  such  as  the 
Indians  made  centuries  ago. 

"  A  good  find,"  said  John,  "  for  copper  axes  and 
coins  were  reckoned  part  of  the  tribute  from  the 
province  of  Coatelicamar.  We  must  be  near  the 
head  of  the  drift." 

As  he  said  this,  they  stumbled  over  a  low 
mound.  This  upon  examination  proved  to  be  a 
heap  of  those  same  copper  axes  mixed  with  many 
other  objects  of  a  different  shape.  There  were 
stone  hammers,  gouges  and  chisels,  made  of  fine 
serpentine  rock,  with  their  edges  polished  to  a 
point,  and  some  curious  knives  of  obsidian. 

At  sight  of  them,  their  thoughts  quickly  reverted 
to  the  request  of  the  good  magistrate  of  Minatitlan. 
"  Bring  me  an  axe  of  bronze,"  he  had  said.  "  And 
he  shall  have  it,  too,  the  best  there  is  here,"  said 
John ;  "  and  a  nugget  added  —  if  we  find  one." 
Here,  then,  were  the  tools  of  those  primitive 
miners  ;  their  axes  and  knives  of  bronze  —  or 
hardened  copper  —  and  flint,  and  their  hammers, 
mauls  and  wedges  of  stone.  With  but  these  sim- 
ple tools  those  patient  laborers  of  past  centuries 
had  penetrated  the  rock  to  this  great  distance,  in 
pursuit  of  the  glittering  veins  and  pockets  of  gold. 

A  few  steps  farther  they  went  on,  and  then  were 
abruptly  halted  by  a  wall  of  rock  directly  across 
their  path.  "As  I  thought,"  said  John,  "this  is 
the  end  of  the  main  adit ;  and  no  gold  yet  in  sight. 
These  torches  give  too  little  light.  Let  me  exam- 
ine the  walls  with  my  lantern."  He  flashed  the 
light  of  the  bull's-eye  upon  the  rock,  tapping  it 
occasionally  with  a  hammer.  Suddenly  he  called 
out :  "  Here,  Juanito  !  Come  here,  and  pound 
with  all  your  might." 

He  had  discovered  a  fissure  that  seemed  to  lead 
into  an  opening  beyond.  Under  Juanito's  sturdy 
blows,  the  crumbling  rock  yielded  ;  the  hammer 
broke  through  and  fell  out  of  sight  into  darkness. 
John  flashed  in  his  light,  and  then  drew  back  with 
an  exclamation  of  wonder,  and  passed  his  hand 
over  his  eyes,  as  though  dazzled. 

Juanito  eagerly  peered  in.     Without  a  word  he 


recovered  his  hammer,  and  went  to  work  again* 
with  redoubled  vigor. 

While  they  were  thus  at  work  the  Indians  sat 
unconcernedly  upon  the  mound  of  copper  axes.. 
They  were  wholly  indifferent,  apparently,  to  the 
exciting  scene  before  them.  They  seemed  to> 
think  it  a  part  of  the  programme  that  the  "  great 
man  from  over  the  sea"  and  the  "little  brother 
from  the  coast "  should  find  what  they  sought. 
John  marvelled  at  their  indifference,  and  said  as- 
much  to  Juanito,  who  replied,  that  there  was  little 
to  wonder  at  in  their  behavior  ;  that  they  had,  all 
their  lives,  been  accustomed  to  obey  the  head  man 
of  their  town  without  question,  and  to  look  upon 
the  acts  of  those  above  them  as  in  every  way  sat- 
isfactory. 

"Now  let  senorito  look  into  this  bolsa —  this- 
pocket  of  gold ;  there  it  lies,  in  a  glittering  heap,, 
winking  and  blinking  at  us  like  living  eyes." 

"  Una  bolsa  de  oro  " —  a  pocket  of  gold  —  as  Juan-- 
ito  termed  it ;  but  it  seemed  to  John  rather  an  accu- 
mulation by  the  hand  of  man,  than  a  deposit  by 
nature's  processes.  The  young  man  was  at  a  loss 
to  account  for  it ;  he  had  heard  of  caves  and  pock- 
ets of  pure  silver ;  but  never  of  gold,  in  this  shape 
and  condition.  Juanito  assented  that  there  was 
no  doubt  the  Indians  themselves  had  placed  it 
there,  for  the  gold  was  not  in  that  condition  of  the 
metal  when  found  in  mines  originally  opened. 
There  were  nuggets  and  pepitas  —  or  kernels  of 
gold,  and  fragments  of  golden  ore,  as  it  had  been 
cut  out  of  the  vein  ;  all  heaped  together  in  this  lit- 
tle cavern,  lining  it  like  the  sparkling  crystals  in  a 
geode. 

"  There  must  be  thousands  of  dollars  here,"  said 
John. 

"  Thousands  !  No,  millions  !  Millones ;  senorito 
is  a  millionaire  —  un  millonario  /" 

"  If  I  am,  then  Juanito  is,"  assented  John. 

Juanito  shook  his  head :  "  No,  I  am  not  yet 
ready  to  be  rich.  Let  senorito  give  me  enough  to 
free  my  people,  to  provide  for  them  while  they 
live  ;  the  rest  is  senorittfs.  Vaya !  let  us  get  it 
out." 

With  a  calabash,  furnished  by  the  Indians,. 
Juanito,  as  the  willing  servant  of  the  Little  Mas- 
ter, scooped  the  golden  treasure  into  a  leather 
sack.  "  Ah  !  "  he  murmured  admiringly,  as  pepitas 
and  nuggets  rolled  into  the  sack,  "  ah  !  what  a 
fortune  has  Juanito  found  to-day.  More  gold  than 


M  O  NTE  Z  UMA  'S     GOLD    MINE  S. 


39 


all  his  people  ever  had  ;  more  than  Senor  Torres,  el 
rico  of  Yucatan !  More  even  than  the  great  Ma- 
linche  ever  saw !  And  it  was  all  heaped  up  by  the 
Indians,  hundreds  of  years  ago  ;  all  their  toil  was 
for  the  enrichment  of  senorito"  he  went  on  talking 
rapidly  in  the  most  excited  manner  as  he  worked. 
"Better  so  than  that  Cortez  should  have  had  it; 
or  even  Coatelicamar.  Senorito,  I  think  the  poor 
miners  hid  this  here  for  themselves,  expecting  to 
keep  it.  And  why  did  they  not  carry  it  away  ? 
Perhaps  they  were  slain  ;  perhaps  they  were  called 
out  to  fight  the  soldiers  of  Montezuma.  Perhaps 


"AHEAD!"  JUANITO  COMMANDED. 

—  ah  !  look  at  the  gold  !  There  !  now  we  have 
nearly  all ;  it  is  an  empty  pocket,  now.  But  I  can- 
not lift  it ;  we  shall  have  to  call  the  Indians.  Two 
of  them  can  hardly  carry  it !  " 

John  stood,  hardly  hearing  Juanito,  deeply 
plunged  in  thought,  lost  in  contemplation  of  the 
past ;  asking  himself  whether  the  gold  belonged  to 
him,  or  to  the  Indians  ;  vaguely  recalling  pictures 
of  the  barbaric  miners  that  once  toiled  here ;  naked, 
with  rude  implements.  Here,  virtually  in  his  own 
ownership,  lay  the  result  of  their  labor  for  many, 
many  years,  which  they  had  wrested  from  the 


secret  places  of  the  earth  with  toil,  and  blood,  and 
groans.  The  old  scruples,  the  old  yearnings  for 
the  uplifting  and  good  of  the  native  race  of  own- 
ers, took  possession  of.  him,  as  in  the  treasure- 
vaults  of  the  Silver  City.  He  could  not  look  upon 
this  gold  as  treasure-trove. 

Juanito  seemed  to  divine  his  thoughts.  "  Gold 
is  good  !  "  said  he ;  "  and  it  is  better  in  the  hands 
of  senorito  than  of  these  Indians.  These  many, 
many  years,  it  has  been  awaiting  senorito' s  arrival ; 
not  to  take  it  now  would  be  offending  the  great 
Dios,  who  made  the  earth  and  the  gold  hidden  in 
the  earth.  Had  they  needed  it,  could  they  have 
used  it,  they  could  have  come  any  day  and  carried 
it  all  away." 

But  John's  thoughts  went  back  an$  back  ;  to  his 
New  England  home  ;  to  his  patient  mother,  whose 
faith  in  him  and  in  his  future  was  so  strong ;  to 
his  unfortunate  father,  whom  he  had  been  the 
means  of  reuniting  to  the  family ;  then  he  thought 
again,  with  a  romantic  regret,  upon  the  renounced 
possibilities  of  his  life  in  the  Silver  City;  there,  he 
had  hoped,  lay  his  life  work  ;  there  he  had  found  a 
conscientious  primitive  people,  living  in  ignorance ; 
he  had  hoped  to  guide  them  to  a  life  of  worthy  in- 
dustries and  enterprises.  He  had  in  his  mind  an 
ideal  kingdom  under  the  sway  of  the  lovely  Prin- 
cess Hia  and  her  brother.  How  rudely  he  had 
been  wrenched  away  !  And  now  among  these  sim- 
ple people  of  the  hills,  a  similar  opportunity  opened. 
He  inclined  strongly  to  stay  among  them.  Perhaps, 
too,  some  day,  when  her  brother  no  longer  needed 
her,  he  would  again  set  sail  for  Cozumel  and  pene- 
trate through  the  country  of  the  Sublevados  and 
again  reach  the  Silver  City,  and  bear  the  lovely 
princess  away,  and  bring  her  into  Mexico,  where 
the  peaceful  people  of  this  golden  country  should 
accept  her  as  their  queen,  and  together  they  would 
spend  their  lives  in  elevating  their  subjects.  Al- 
though not  a  strict  believer  in  special  providences, 
he  yet  saw  the  means  divinely  sent  for  accomplish- 
ing a  mission  truly  divine. 

A  voice  broke  in  on  his  romantic  reverie : 
"  Vamanos,  senorito ;  let  us  go  ;  it  is  getting  late." 

The  Indians  assumed  the  additional  burden  of 
the  sack  of  gold,  and  turned  their  faces  in  the  di- 
rection of  the  mine's  mouth.  They  shuffled  along 
with  heavy  tread,  their  spluttering  torches  faintly 
lighting  the  path  behind. 

In  half  an  hour,  they  had  reached  the  first  of 


4o 


MONTE Z  UMA 'S     GOLD     MINE S . 


the  lateral  galleries,  a  dark  hole  yawning  in  the 
left-hand  wall  —  the  second  they  had  passed  com- 
ing in.  Here  their  guides  paused,  set  down  the 
sack,  and  motioned  them  to  examine  the  rock. 
They  broke  into  exclamations  of  astonishment  and 
joy;  for  it  was  gold-bearing  quartz,  milk-white, 
streaked  with  golden  threads.  These  lines  of 
gold  led  downward  into  the  recesses  of  the  crucero, 
or  cross-gallery,  indicating  beyond  a  doubt  that 
richer  deposits  lay  beyond. 

"  Stay  you  here,  Juanito,  with  our  treasure,  and 
I  will  examine  this  ledge."  John  lighted  the  dark 
lantern  again,  which  he  had  reserved  in  case  the 
torches  gave  out.  But  Juanito  demurred  ;  he  did 
not  approve  of  the  Little  Master  going  in  alone  ; 
there  might  be  any  number  of  dangers. 

"  But,  Juanito,"  laughed  John,  "  I  shall  merely 
trace  the  echada  —  the  dip  of  the  ledge  —  to  find 
if  the  gold  continues.  I  will  be  gone  not  more 
than  half  an  hour." 

Juanito  gloomily  acquiesced. 

"  Vaya,  con  Dios,  senorito. — Go,  and  God  be  with 
you,  Little  Master ;  but  Juanito  likes  it  not.  If 
senorito  does  not  return  in  one  half-hour,  I  shall 
seek  him ;  my  heart  is  full  of  fear." 

He  threw  his  arms  about  John's  shoulders  and 
clasped  him  tightly,  then  released  him.  And  as 
John  took  up  his  rifle,  and  adjusted  the  lantern  to 
his  belt,  he  besought  again,  "  Have  a  care,  beloved 
master ;  look  well  to  your  rifle  and  revolver ;  caves 
and  mines  are  the  lurking-places  of  ladrones  and 
bandits  ;  remember  Juanito's  vision  of  last  night ; 
it  may  not  have  been  his  imagination  !  " 

John  laughingly  assured  him  that  he  had  no 
fears  ;  then  disappeared,  the  twinkling  of  his  light 
revealing  his  presence  only  a  little  way.  Then 
Juanito  sat  down  with  the  Indians,  who,  as  soon 
as  John  had  gone,  crouched  by  the  sack,  and  be- 
gan to  chat  together.  They  talked  with  unre- 
served freedom,  as  their  conversation  was  in  their 
own  language,  of  which  they  assumed. the  stranger 
to  be  ignorant. 

One  of  them  took  out  a  pouch  of  tobacco  and 
some  corn  husks  and  began  to  roll  a  cigarette,  in 
which  occupation  he  was  joined  by  the  other. 

"The  sack  is  heavy,"  said  the  one  who  had 
lighted  the  match. 

The  other  assented. 

"  Much  gold." 

"  Much." 


"  What  will  the  great  man  do  with  it  ?  " 

"Who  knows?" 

"  What  will  the  hairy-faced  man  say  about  it  ?  " 

"  Who  knows  ? " 

Juanito,  already  excited,  thrilled  coldly  at  men- 
tion of  the  "  hairy-faced  man."  Whom  else  could 
they  mean  than  Tomaso  ?  He  grasped  the  loqua- 
cious Indian  by  the  arm,  who  merely  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  calmly  smoked.  "  Was  the  hairy- 
faced  man  the  one  the  alcalde  had  placed  in  the 
calaboose  ? " 

No  surprise  was  manifested  that  Juanito  had 
understood  their  Zapotic.  They  answered  un- 
moved. Yes,  they  thought  he  was  the  same. 

"  The  Spaniard,  short  of  stature,  with  gray 
beard  ? " 

There  was  no  doubt  of  it. 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  Who  knows  ?  " 

"  What  did  he  say  to  them  ? " 

"  Nothing." 

"  Where  did  he  go  ?  " 

"  Into  the  crncero  /" 

"  Was  he  alone  ?  " 

"  He  was  alone." 

"Come,  then,"  cried  Juanito,  "come  with  me 
into  the  crncero ;  there  is  no  time  to  lose  ! " 

They  deliberately  lifted  their  torches  and  pre- 
pared to  follow  him. 

"  Ahead  !  "  he  commanded. 

They  moved  in,  Juanito  following.  They  evi- 
dently saw  no  reason  for  haste  ;  but  Juanito  urged 
them  to  their  utmost  speed,  fuming  over  their  de- 
lays, choking  with  grief  at  thought  of  what  might 
happen  before  he  could  reach  seTwrito.  He  knew 
that  in  the  Indians  he  had  neither  allies  nor  ene- 
mies ;  they  would  remain  neutral,  whatever  hap- 
pened. He  longed  to  shout,  but  was  afraid  to  lest 
that  should  precipitate  the  Spaniard  on  his  friend. 
And  Juanito  knew  enough  of  Tomaso  to  be  sure  that 
he  would  kill  the  Little  Master,  out  of  pure  malice, 
even  if  he  himself  were  certain  of  being  shot  in 
the  act.  In  doubt,  in  grief,  every  second  of  time 
weighted  with  horror,  Juanito  crept  after  the  Indi- 
ans, with  eyes  and  ears  alert  to  catch  the  slightest 
sign  of  life  ahead,  the  faintest  sound.  They  turned 
an  angle  of  the  passage  and  there  they  heard  signs 
of  life  ;  soft  footsteps,  and  the  click  of  a  hammer  — 
John  tapping  the  gold-bearing  rock.  At  the  same 
time  there  was  the  twinkle  of  a  li^ht  —  assurance 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


4-    4o 


of  safety.  But,  just  as  Juanito  was  about  to  re- 
lieve his  agony  by  a  shout  of  joy,  a  dark  form 
darted  across  the  lane  of  light,  and  a  muffled  fall 
was  followed  by  a  death-like  silence. 

CHAPTER   XII. 

FATE  REPEATS. 

Walking  carefully  along,  alternately  glancing  at 
the  path  before  him  and  at  the  wall  of  the  cut, 
John  had  progressed  but  slowly.  The  crucero  was 
narrower  than  the  main  gallery,  and  not  so  high  ; 
it  was  also  tortuous  and  rough,  as  it  followed  along 
the  gold-vein  in  its  windings,  ever  twisting  and  ziz- 
zagging  about  like  a  great  petrified  golden  serpent. 
It  was  like  following  an  ever-unwinding  thread,  deep 
and  deeper  into  the  centre  of  the  earth, 'and  he  be- 
came so  fascinated  and  absorbed  that  he  thought  no 
longer  of  the  surmised  dangers  of  the  cut.  •  Won- 
dering at  the  sight  that  every  succeeding  footstep 
unfolded,  he  lost  himself  in  speculation  as  to  the 
reasons  of  the  ancient  miners  for  boring  out  this 
long  tunnel  and,  apparently,  leaving  the  real  vein 
untouched.  It  was  all  a  part  of  the  mystery  sur- 
rounding the  mine.  Perhaps,  as  Juanito  had  sug- 
gested, all  this  had  been  done  as  merely  prepara- 
tory, and  that  war  —  unexpected  and  disastrous  — 
had  come  upon  the  tribe,  causing  them  to  with- 
draw all  their  miners  to  fight  in  the  field.  Again, 
it  might  have  been  their  manner  of  storing  their 
wealth  ;  leaving  the  rich  veins  exposed,  ready  for 
the  chisel  when  the  gold  should  be  needed.  As 
the  time  had  never  arrived,  or,  owing  to  some  dis- 
aster, the  gold  had  not  been  disturbed,  it  existed 
now  as  in  that  remote  age  when  first  brought  to 
light,  firmly  cemented  within  its  walls  of  quartz. 

A  feeling  of  awe  took  possession  of  the  lonely 
investigator  as  he  advanced  downward,  guided  by 
the  golden  clue.  It  would  not  have  seemed  strange 
if  the  ancient  Aztecs  had  appeared  to  demand  of  him 
reasons  for  his  intrusion.  He  shivered  at  this  sug- 
gestion, as  though  a  cold  draught  had  struck  him, 
and  looked  around.  In  the  opposite  wall  was  a 
cleft  —  a  hole  that  seemed  to  descend  into  the  very 
base  of  the  mountain  where  it  had  its  foundation 
walls  over  the  abyss  of  the  terrestrial  fires.  He 
turned  his  lantern  in  that  direction  ;  suddenly,  and 
as  it  lighted  up  a  little  space,  he  fancied  that  a 
shadowy  form,  having  human  semblance,  and  with 


baleful  eyes,  retreated  slowly  into  its  recesses. 
But  it  did  not  reappear,  and  he  laughed  softly  to 
himself :  "  This  peering  into  dead  men's  treasure- 
vaults  has  shaken  my  nerves." 

Had  he  but  thrown  a  light,  at  intervals,  behind 
him,  this  story  of  his  search  might  have  had  a 
different  termination.  For  the  formless  shade 
emerged  again  from  the  cleft,  and  followed  silently 
on  his  track;  it  neared  him  —  by  thrusting  back 
with  his  rifle  John  might  have  touched  it ;  nearer 
it  drew,  suddenly  assuming  concrete  shape,  and 
showing,  in  the  brief  glimpse  as  John  suddenly 
again  looked  backward,  a  terrible  form  with  hand 
lifted  above  his  head. 

"Tomaso!"  This  one  cry  only,  as  the  hand 
descended,  weighted  with  the  iron  bar  it  held,  and 
John  fell. 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  Juanito  turned  the 
angle  in  the  cut  and  witnessed  the  final  act  in  the 
dreadful  pantomime.  He  at  first  knew  not  whether 
it  was  friend  or  foe  that  lay  silent  on  the  rock, 
friend  or  foe  that  darted  across  the  space  into  the 
lateral  chasm.  But  he  sped  forward,  rifle  raised. 
All  seemed  void,  in  the  darkness,  as  he  reached 
the  cleft ;  but  a  noise  of  rattling  stones  sounded 
within,  and  he  discharged  his  rifle  after  it.  The 
noise  ceased,  swallowed  up  in  the  report  and  its 
thunderous  reverberation.  Before  it  had  died  away, 
another  report  followed,  this  time  from  within  the 
crevice,  and  a  bullet  bounded  against  the  rock  be- 
hind Juanito. 

The  Indians,  with  their  torches,  had  arrived  upon 
the  scene,  and  had  illumined  the  group  so  that 
the  hidden  bandit  had  had  a  fairer  mark  than  his 
foe.  But  Juanito  was  unharmed  ;  and  he  rapidly 
sent  a  half-dozen  revolver-shots  into  the  darkness. 

As  the  last  echo  of  the  reverberations  died  away, 
retreating  further  and  further  into  the  drift,  Juan- 
ito fancied  he  heard  a  groan,  or  an  imprecation  — 
he  could  not  distinguish  which.  Then  all  was  quiet. 

Turning  now  to  the  silent  shape  in  the  crucero, 
the  boy  motioned  the  Indians  to  lift  John  carefully. 
They  turned  him  over,  and  raised  him,  so  that  the 
torch-light  flared  in  his  face  ;  it  was  still  and  pallid. 
An  intense  longing  possessed  Juanito  to  clasp  his 
brother  close  in  his  arms,  and  bear  him  upon  his 
own  breast  into  daylight  and  open  air.  His  heart 
burned  with  the  pain  of  repressed  emotion ;  his 
eyes  were  dry,  but  a-fire  with  mingled  grief  and 
anger.  The  Indians,  unmoved  as  ever,  obeyed  him, 


MONTEZUMA'S     GOLD    MINES. 


gathering  the  Little  Master  into  their  arms,  and 
retreating  with  him  towards  the  main  drift  of  the 
mine.  Detaching  the  lantern  from  John's  belt, 
Juanito  re-lighted  it  and  fastened  it  to  his  own. 
Then  he  slowly  retreated  after  the  Indians,  his 
back  to  them  and  his  face  to  any  concealed  foe. 
His  was  a  most  perilous  position,  for  the  lantern- 
glare  showed  his  movements  ;  but  it  also  projected 
a  broad  lane  of  light  towards  the  supposed  point 
whence  the  enemy  might  appear.  Thus  they  fell 
back,  in  good  order,  towards  their  only  known 
avenue  of  escape. 

As  they  retreated,  when  a  rod  away  from  the 
cleft  in  the  wall,  something  seemed  to  emerge  from 
it  —  a  shapeless  something,  yet  to  Juanito's  eyes 
having  the  general  outline  of  a  human  being  — 
.and  danced  across  the  drift  and  back  again. 

Bang!  the  rifle-roar  again  filled  the  cavern; 
Juanito  was  amazed.  He  cared  little  for  anything 
living  in  the  flesh,  and  was  prepared  to  take  any 
odds  ;  but  this  phantom-like  apparition  through 
which  his  bullet  sped  and  caused  no  harm  —  what 
should  he  do  ?  Still  he  was  battling  for  more  than 
one  life ;  and  he  resolutely  quieted  the  supersti- 
tious suggestions  that  thronged  his  brain.  He  had 
still  twelve  shots  left ;  in  his  rifle  six,  and  six  in  the 
revolver  which  he  had  reloaded. 

Meanwhile,  the  sad  procession  slowly  moved 
along.  Following  after  it,  as  though  drawn  out 
by  a  draught  of  air,  before  Juanito's  burning  eyes 
trooped  a  constantly-increasing  number  of  the 
formless  ones —  dun,  misty  shapes.  They  danced 
in  the  gloom  beyond  the  lane  of  light,  never 
emerging  clearly  out  of  the  obscurity,  but  pressing 
upon  one  another  and  constantly  shifting  places, 
in  restless  pantomime.  Despite  his  courage,  Juan- 
ito felt  his  limbs  shake  and  his  heart  thump  trem- 
ulously. He  gazed  more  in  awe  than  horror. 
"  Santa  Maria  !  These  are  Indians,  the  old  miners, 
who  have  perished  in  the  mine.  They  would  not 
harm  me,  an  Indian  of  Malinche's  own  race.  Why 
did  I  shoot  ? " 

Suddenly,  like  the  drifting  away  of  a  cloud 
before  a  breeze,  these  phantoms  disappeared,  dis- 
solved into  the  gloom  of  the  cavern.  The  retreat- 
ing group  had  reached  the  main  drift,  and  here 
they  halted,  to  gain  strength,  before  carrying  their 
insensible  burden  on  to  the  cave's  mouth.  "  The 
gold  —  what  should  they  do  with  the  gold?"  the 
Indians  questioned  dumbly. 


Juanito  shook  his  head  :  "  Never  mind  the  gold  ; 
bear  the  master  quickly  out  to  open  air." 

The  Indians  reassumed  their  burden.  As  they 
stooped  to  take  up  the  unconscious  form,  their 
quick  ears  caught  a  sound  of  approaching  footsteps. 
They  signed  to  Juanito.  It  came  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  outer  world,  not  from  the  crucero. 

Placing  the  Indians  with  their  charge  behind  a 
projecting  rock,  Juanito  covered  the  light,  and 
awaited  the  coming  of  whatever  caused  the  sound, 
crouched  close  to  the  wall,  with  rifle  tightly  clasped. 
Louder  grew  the  murmur,  swelling  to  a  muffled 
roar,  and  betokening  many  footsteps,  as  well  as 
voices.  Now  lights  gleamed.  He  shouted : 
"Holaf"  "Who  are  ye?" 

Confused  cries,  but  in  friendly  tones,  answered 
him,  as  of  several  voices  at  once  replying  to  his 
call.  The  next  moment  joyful  exclamations  issued 
from  the  new-comers,  greeting  Juanito  and  the 
guides,  followed  by  lamentations  over  the  body  of 
el  Americano ;  for  they  were  Indians  from  Tama- 
zulapa,  headed  by  the  alcalde,  who  had  sallied  out 
in  search  of  Malinche's  kinsman,  superstitiously 
drawn  perhaps  by  the  red  serpent  of  the  ancient 
totem. 

They  embraced  each  other  eagerly ;  and  then 
willing  hands  volunteered  to  relieve  the  patient 
guides,  and  the  retreat  was  at  once  begun.  In  due 
time,  the  entrance  to  the  mine  was  reached  ;  day- 
light greeted  them ;  the  setting  sun  fell  slantwise 
across  the  canon  wall.  A  terrible  weight  seemed 
to  roll  off  Juanito's  shoulders  as  they  emerged  ; 
but  the  cloud  in  his  brain  still  hung  there,  like  a 
veil  before  his  eyes.  Had  it  all  happened  in  one 
day  ?  Yes.  Between  the  rising  and  the  going 
down  of  the  sun,  he  had  passed  through  a  lifetime 
(it  seemed  to  him)  of  joy  and  fear. 

They  bore  the  body  to  the  stream  and  bathed 
the  still  face  and  hands,  and  washed  the  clotted 
blood  from  the  wound ;  but,  though  the  breath  of 
life  was  still  in  him,  John  did  not  return  to  con- 
sciousness. Then  they  prepared  a  litter  and  be- 
gan their  march  homeward,  taking  turns  as  carriers 
until  the  rolling  river  was  in  sight,  the  hamlet  in 
the  orange  grove  was  reached,  and  they  halted  in 
front  of  the  cabildo,  where  a  bed  was  quickly  pre- 
pared, and  the  medico,  the  native  doctor,  sent  for. 

Four  days  of  intense  agony  passed  by,  during 
which  John  neither  woke  nor  gave  evidence  of  sens- 
ibility. During  all  this  time  Juanito  remained  by 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


his  side,  watching  with  unresting  vigilance.  But 
one  morning  at  dawn,  as  the  wrens  in  the  thatch 
were  twittering  softly  together,  John  opened  his 
eyes.  It  was  a  simple  thing  for  one  to  do,  yet  it 
startled  Juanito  more  than  that  shot  from  Tomaso's 
revolver,  in  the  mine.  "  Gracias  d  Dios !"  he 
presently  exclaimed,  "Thanks  to  God  !  senorito  has 
awakened  from  his  sleep !  " 

The  pale  lips  moved  as  though  trying  to  form 
words.  Juanito  placed  his  ear  down  close. 

"  Tomaso  ?  I  dreamt  I  saw  Tomaso ! " 


The  sun  hung  straight  over  the  hut  when  John 
awoke  again.  This  time  his  glance  was  untroubled ; 
he  recognized  the  faithful  Juanito,  and  returned 
his  delighted  caresses  with  heartfelt  fervor. 
"Juanito  mio,  how  long  have  I  been  here  ?" 
"  Five  days,  senorito" 
"  The  gold  —did  Tomaso  get  that  ?  " 
"  No ;  the  alcalde  has  it,  keeping  it  for  you." 
Long  and  many  talks  followed,  day  after  day. 
Among  other  accounts  Juanito  told  of  the  formless 
phantoms  in  the  mine,  which  John  at  once  assured 


"AND  THE  LITTLE  CHILDREN  SANG  THE  ANGELUS." 


"Not  here,  Little  Master;  he  is  in  the  mine. 
The  alcalde  thinks  him  dead." 

"  What  did  he  do  to  me  ? " 

"  He  escaped,  and  followed  us ;  he  struck  you 
down,  in  the  crucero,  and  I — O,  senorito,  he  will 
never  trouble  us  again." 

"  Our  friends,  the  Indians  —  they  were  not 
false  ?  " 

"  No,  amigo  mio,  they  were  true  ;  you  are  back 
in  their  town." 

Lips  and  eyelids  fluttered  again,  but  closed,  a 
sigh  of  peace  heaved  the  weak  breast,  and  the  tired 
questioner  dropped  back  into  slumber. 


him  were  but  shapes  of  rifle-smoke.  Of  far  more 
importance  were  certain  conversations  with  the 
alcalde  and  the  presidente.  Meantime,  his  recov- 
ery went  surely  on.  Not  a  man,  woman  or  child 
in  the  village  but  lent  a  hand  and  brought  a  gift 
to  further  his  convalescence.  Everything  which 
could  add  to  his  comfort  or  tempt  his  appetite 
appeared  in  the  cabildo  as  by  magic. 

One  beautiful  balmy  day,  about  a  month  after  the 
adventure  in  the  mine,  the  beloved  el  Americano  re- 
joiced the  people  by  appearing  at  the  door  of  the 
cabildo.  By  Juanito's  aid,  he  walked  slowly  through 
the  orange  grove,  to  a  verdant  knoll,  surrounded 


MONTEZUMA'S    GOLD    MINES. 


by  a  ring  of  palm  and  fruit-trees.  A  busy  scene 
there  met  his  gaze ;  the  men  of  the  village  were 
building  a  house.  Its  frame  was  already  up,  some 
of  the  workmen  were  plastering  the  walls,  others 
laying  the  thatch  of  bright  palm-leaves,  and  all 
were  hurrying,  as  though  working  in  anticipation 
of  some  joyous  event.  It  was  a  beautiful  situation 
for  a  dwelling,  with  an  emerald  slope  reaching  to 
the  river  and  a  view  bounded  only  by  the  distant 
cliffs. 

John  admired,  and  praised.  "  Who  is  this  palace 
for  ? "  he  asked.  "  Do  you  expect  a  cura  to  be 
settled  among  you  ?  " 

The  alcalde  laughed,  and  made  answer:  "No, 
senorito,  not  a  cura,  but  a  teacher  ;  "  then  he  trans- 
lated the  question  to  his  neighbors,  who  suspended 
their  labors  that  they  too  might  enjoy  it,  and  in- 
dulge in  a  chorus  of  laughter. 

A  week  later,  the  house  was  done  ;  a  broad 
veranda  distinguished  it  above  all  the  rest,  and  it 
was  the  grandest  structure  in  the  village.  Ham- 
mocks (woven  by  the  busy  fingers  of  Indian  maid- 
ens) were  hung  in  it ;  trees  and  flowers  were 
planted  around  it.  Then  the  people  assembled 
about  the  cabildo,  clad  in  their  best  and  brightest 
garments,  their  faces  eager  and  joyous.  Suddenly, 
there  broke  forth  the  sound  of  singing  voices  ; 
white  garments  gleamed  beneath  the  glossy-leaved 
orange-trees,  and  up  through  the  avenue  of  palm- 
trees  came  a  score  or  two  of  children  chanting 
in  their  native  tongue  a  delightful  song  of  greet- 
ing. 

The  alcalde  led  them,  brought  them  to  the  door- 
way in  which  the  young  men  were  standing,  await- 
ing the  simple  ceremonies  of  which  they  had  been 
apprised. 

"Most  noble  sett  or,"  he  said,  "and  Little 
Brother,  ours,  behold  your  people,  come  to  con- 
duct you  to  your  home." 

They  had  brought  the  beloved  white  stranger 
their  choicest  offerings  ;  their  love  and  loyalty. 
John  accepted  their  trust  with  unfeigned  joy,  feel- 
ing that  a  new  life  had  begun,  that  his  life-work 
"ay  well-defined  before  him.  Nor  did  it  bear  any 

(THE 


longer  a  relation  to  the  gold  mines  of  his  search. 
The  gold  lay  before  him,  but  it  seemed  valueless. 
He  looked  upon  it  with  an  Arcadian  indifference. 

"  We  believed  you  would  stay  with  us,  even  as 
you  promised,"  the  alcalde  went  on,  with  simple 
dignity.  "  We  believe  you  will  find  us  people 
good  to  dwell  amongst.  All  we  have  we  now  lay 
at  your  feet ;  only  remain  with  us,  and  teach  us 
the  wisdom  of  the  East,  the  skill  of  your  race,  its 
learning  and  its  religion.  Our  Little  Brother, 
after  his  separation  of  generations,  has  at  last  re- 
joined his  kindred.  He  is  content  to  stay,  and 
for  his  mother,  his  brother,  and  his  sister.  We 
have  sent  swift  runners  to  Tuxtlas  with  gold  to 
ransom  them.  Soon  Juanito  shall  welcome  them 
to  his  home." 

Gratitude  and  gladness  shone  in  the  eyes  of  the 
two  young  men  as  they  turned  toward  each  other. 
Surely  their  search  for  the  Lost  Mine  had  been 
blessed.  John  swore  in  his  inmost  heart  that 
Montezuma's  gold  should  never  be  put  to  ignoble 
use  in  this,  his  little  ideal  commonwealth.  The 
thirst  for  gold,  the  toil  and  strife  for  gold  —  how 
pitiable,  how  dark  and  bloody  and  terrible  this 
gold- hunger  had  made  the  history  of  earth  and 
the  human  race ! 

The  alcalde  led  to  the  new  house,  all  the  people 
following,  singing  the  glad  hymns  of  their  race.  In 
the  centre  of  the  village,  a  stone's  throw  from 
their  new  dwelling,  were  the  ruins  of  a  church. 
Once,  fifty  years  ago,  it  had  stood  there  fair  and 
stately,  its  stone  tower  hung  with  bells,  and  reach- 
ing upward  toward  the  sky. 

Now,  it  lay  in  heaps  of  ruins ;  lor  an  earth- 
quake had  one  day  shaken  it  —  shaken  it  for  but 
a  moment  —  and  it  no  longer  bore  the  semblance  of 
a  church.  But  in  a  corner  of  its  walls,  beneath  a 
roof  of  thatch,  its  bells  still  hung.  And  here,  as 
the  dusk  of  night  drew  nigh,  came  the  old  sac- 
ristan (self-appointed)  and  rang  the  chimes  for  the 
oration,  while  little  children  gathered  round  and 
sang  the  Angelus  —  their  evening  prayer.  Then 
starry  darkness  and  sleep  fell  upon  the  peaceful 
village,  and  the  happy  dwellers  in  it. 
END.) 


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